North Korea on Sunday called for the repatriation of North Koreans who defected from a North Korean-run restaurant in China to South Korea earlier this month, threatening that it will take "retaliative actions" on South Korea's presidential office Cheong Wa Dae if the demand is not met.

The demand by North Korea's Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea is the latest in the country's repeated calls for repatriation after the 13 North Koreans fled to South Korea in early April.

North Korea has claimed the defection was directly masterminded by Cheong Wa Dae.

"(The defectors) Are talents who grew up in happiness while learning to their heart's content," the committee said in a statement carried by the North's state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

"There can be no socio-political and economic reason for them to be skeptical about the social system and about their beloved parents and family members," the statement said, accusing Cheong Wa Dae of seducing the defectors.

It said the South Korean government organized the defection event in order to influence the recent general election where the ruling party lost its parliamentary majority.

"The latest event was carried out under a direct order by Cheong Wa Dae," the statement said, demanding President Park Geun-hye apologize and send the defectors home.

Otherwise, North Korea will "never tolerate the recent terrorist gangster-like act ... in case the Park group keeps the DPRK (North Korean) citizens in custody, defying the just demand, the group will have to pay an unimaginable high price," it said. (Yonhap)