The Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in China says its economy is largely influenced by the South Korean economy.

The prefectural government said that over 200-thousand people from Yanbian earned almost six-point-three billion dollars overseas from 1998 to 2008 with most of the laborers working in South Korea.

The earnings from overseas account for more than half of the Yanbian government’s revenues.

The report pointed out that the inflow of foreign currency from South Korea increased the per capita income for the prefecture by 3,500 yuan, or about 512 U.S. dollars.