S. African diplomat denies N. Koreans working in S. Africa+

SEOUL, March 16 Kyodo -
A South African diplomat denied Tuesday a South Korean news report that North
Korean laborers are working in stadiums across South Africa ahead of the
football world cup.

''There is no factual basis to it at all,'' South African ambassador-designate
to Seoul Hilton Dennis told Kyodo News.
''There has been no North Korean working at the world cup stadiums, and we
checked with contractors there,'' he said.
He added South Africa has no labor relations with North Korea.
Dennis made the comment in response to a news report published Monday by the
JoongAng Daily saying an estimated 1,000 North Koreans were being used to work
on four or five stadiums in South Africa that need renovation.
''North Koreans have been put to work on four to five stadiums..., including
Soccer City stadium in Johannesburg where the opening and closing ceremonies
plus the final will be staged,'' the JoongAng Daily quoted a South Korean
source as saying.
North Korean laborers were also said to be working at Mbombela Stadium in
Nelspruit where the North Korean soccer team will play Ivory Coast on June 25.
The South African government has budgeted 12 billion rand ($1.6 billion) for 10
stadiums in nine cities, the daily said.
The newspaper report claimed it was the first time so many North Korean
laborers were sent to South Africa with which North Korea established
diplomatic relations in 1998.
It added it was unclear if the workers would return home upon completing the
world cup work or would be engaged in other construction projects.
==Kyodo
2010-03-16 23:48:18


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