[3] It is a large building, and can seat up to 2,000 patrons, which Lankov described as reflecting "a penchant for large-scale eateries ... common to all Communist regimes".

[6] He returned home to a hero's welcome, even receiving a personal congratulations from Kim Jong-il on the occasion of his 80th birthday in 2009.

[8] Okryu-gwan has various branches throughout China, which help the North Korean government to earn badly needed foreign currency.

As a result, they market themselves aggressively, even purchasing advertisements in local South Korean expatriate newspapers.

[12] The first Okryu-gwan branch in China opened in Beijing's Wangjing district in 2003; by 2010, its revenues were estimated at more than US$6,000 per day.

The waitresses are graduates of the Jang Chol Gu University of Commerce [ko] or culinary schools in Pyongyang.

It is a joint venture with several equityholders, including an undisclosed majority local owner, along with Chinese businessman Gavin Tang.