North Korea will reportedly use the group of young North Korean escapees repatriated from Laos last month in its propaganda efforts.

A source familiar with North Korea issues said Tuesday that North Korean media filmed the nine youths playing at major Pyongyang amusement parks, in an apparent attempt to paint their lives as normal and assuage international concerns of their safety.

The source said that the North will likely claim through a news conference or symposium that the nine youths voluntarily returned to their homeland and that their repatriation was an act of the North exercising its sovereignty.

In a statement issued through its Red Cross last week, the North accused South Korea of luring and kidnapping the nine North Korean escapees.