North Korea ordered its businessmen to return from China in connection with the execution of leader Kim Jong Un's uncle, who had been considered the second highest-ranking leader in the Stalinist state, dpa cited a South Korean news report on Saturday. Jang Song Thaek, who was executed Thursday, was believed to have been in charge of promoting economic relations with China, and many of the charges against him focussed on his ties to Beijing, Pyongyang's only major international ally. The order to return issued to the businessmen appeared to be part of a crackdown on those loyal to Jang, the Yonhap News Agency reported, quoting unnamed sources. The businessmen work in the north-eastern Chinese cities of Dandong, which lies on the Chinese-North Korean border, and Shenyang near the border, Yonhap said in a report from Shenyang. They are focussed on conducting trade with China and trying to attract investment to North Korea, it said. -- SPA 21:21 LOCAL TIME 18:21 GMT تغريد
