ue — who ▁defect ed ▁to ▁South ▁Korea ▁in ▁February ▁that ▁year . ▁Other ▁sources ▁reported ▁ 2 0 0 . ▁North ▁Korea ▁re called ▁them ▁all ▁back ▁home ▁after ▁the ▁fall ▁of ▁the ▁Berlin ▁Wall ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 0 . ▁ ▁Gu est ▁workers ▁There ▁was ▁formerly ▁a ▁cont ing ent ▁of ▁nearly ▁four ▁hundred ▁North ▁Kore ans ▁working ▁in ▁the ▁Czech ▁Republic , ▁including ▁about ▁nin ety ▁women ▁working ▁as ▁se am str esses ▁in ▁S nez ka , ▁a ▁company ▁in ▁N á chod ▁that ▁manufact ures ▁sheets ▁for ▁cars ▁and ▁travel ▁b ags , ▁and ▁others ▁in ▁Sk ute č . ▁M - Plus , ▁a ▁Czech ▁labour ▁bro ker ▁company ▁with ▁contacts ▁in ▁the ▁North ▁Korean ▁Ministry ▁of ▁Light ▁Indust ry , ▁arranged ▁most ▁of ▁their ▁vis as ▁and ▁employ ment ▁contract s . ▁The ▁workers ▁were ▁typically ▁women ▁between ▁ 1 8 ▁and ▁ 2 2 ▁years ▁of ▁age , ▁and ▁came ▁from ▁polit ically ▁reliable ▁families ; ▁they ▁saw ▁their ▁assignment ▁to ▁the ▁Czech ▁Republic ▁as ▁a ▁reward ▁and ▁a ▁good ▁opportunity ▁to ▁ear n ▁money . ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁media ▁reports , ▁about ▁half ▁eventually ▁learned ▁to ▁speak ▁Czech ▁and ▁sometimes ▁social ised ▁with ▁the ▁other ▁workers ▁at ▁their ▁fact ories , ▁primarily ▁Ukrain ian ▁migr ants ▁and ▁local ▁people , ▁discuss ing ▁work - related ▁topics . ▁European ▁media ▁coverage ▁described ▁the ▁workers ▁as ▁" 2 1 st - century ▁slaves ", ▁a ▁character isation ▁which ▁their ▁employ ers ▁strongly ▁disput ed