, ▁pointing ▁out ▁that ▁their ▁w ages , ▁work ▁hours , ▁and ▁over time ▁pay ments ▁were ▁the ▁same ▁as ▁their ▁colle agues ▁of ▁other ▁national ities . ▁However , ▁they ▁always ▁moved ▁around ▁in ▁groups , ▁never ▁alone , ▁and ▁were ▁accompanied ▁by ▁a ▁North ▁Korean ▁government ▁mind er ▁at ▁all ▁times . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 4 , ▁a ▁television ▁crew ▁came ▁to ▁Sk ut ec ▁in ▁an ▁attempt ▁to ▁film ▁and ▁investigate ▁North ▁Korean ▁workers ▁there . ▁However , ▁shortly ▁after ▁their ▁arrival , ▁they ▁were ▁attacked ▁by ▁ 3 0 ▁North ▁Korean ▁women ▁throwing ▁stones , ▁and ▁lost ▁their ▁foot age . ▁Media ▁figures ▁later ▁spec ulated ▁that ▁the ▁w ides p read ▁coverage ▁of ▁the ▁North ▁Korean ▁workers ' ▁pl ight ▁had ▁made ▁them ▁feel ▁threatened , ▁and ▁that ▁the ▁public ity ▁may ▁have ▁actually ▁dam aged ▁their ▁standing ▁and ▁put ▁their ▁families ▁in ▁danger . ▁A ▁ 2 0 0 6 ▁Czech ▁police ▁investigation ▁revealed ▁that ▁the ▁women ▁depos ited ▁nearly ▁ 8 0 % ▁of ▁their ▁w ages ▁into ▁a ▁collect ive ▁bank ▁account ; ▁this ▁was ▁further ▁cor ro bor ated ▁by ▁testim ony ▁from ▁def ector ▁Kim ▁T ae - san , ▁formerly ▁an ▁official ▁at ▁the ▁North ▁Korean ▁emb ass y ▁in ▁Prag ue . ▁ ▁Event ually , ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁negative ▁public ity , ▁and ▁pressure ▁from ▁U . S .- based ▁customers ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 6 ▁North ▁Korean ▁nuclear ▁test ▁and ▁the ▁resulting ▁san ctions