The 176 North Korean workers who had worked at construction sites in Sarawak have seemingly vanished without a trace.

The workers have all left their workplaces, leaving their belongings behind, and there is no record of any of them having left the state, The Borneo Post reported today.

According to Sarawak Immigration director Ken Leben, this would mean that the workers should "technically" still be in the state, but he declined to elaborate further.

Ken cited a directive from Putrajaya barring comments on the workers' situation, following the fractured diplomatic ties between Malaysia and North Korea.

This came after the murder of Kim Jong-nam, the elder half-brother of North Korean supreme leader Kim Jong-un, at KLIA2 on Feb 13.

Earlier this month, a team from The Borneo Post had visited one such construction site, but did not find any North Korean workers there. However, the journalists found the workers' personal belongings, including work clothes, tools, helmets and boots, left behind in one of the makeshift rooms at the site.

A check later revealed that works at the site, which had come to a halt following the departure of the North Koreans, has resumed with local workers.

The daily also interviewed a couple of local construction workers, who helped shed some light into the North Koreans' lifestyle.

According to an Iban worker, who only wanted to be known as Alec, the North Koreans were mainly men aged above 40, and worked very "systematically", often helping each other out with heavy tasks at the site.

He said the men also worked long hours, long after the local workers have called it a day.

Alec also said there was a cook among the North Koreans, who prepared daily meals and delivered them to the worksite.

Even when it comes to consuming food, Alec said, the North Koreans had a very "military-like" system, where they proportioned the meals fairly.

The Borneo Post also quoted another worker, who only wished to be known as Bob, saying the North Koreans often kept to themselves, and used sign language to communicate with the local workers.

Among the workers, there was also a "leader", believed to be a contractor, who could converse in English and treated the workers well, he added.

The presence of North Koreans in the country, especially in Sarawak, came into the limelight following Jong-nam's murder.