April 25, 2024

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[THE INVESTOR] South Korea on Oct. 26 urged North Korea to allow local businessmen to visit their factories in a now shuttered joint industrial complex in the North.

A group of executives of firms that ran factories at the Kaesong Industrial Complex last month requested that Seoul permit their visit to the factory park amid speculation the North unilaterally resumed operations.

“The government requests North Korea take measures needed to guarantee their security or related to their border crossing, which are necessary for Seoul to approve their trip,“ Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon told a press conference.

The minister, however, made it clear that their possible visit has nothing to do with the resumption of the complex. South Korea shut down the zone in 2016 in response to North Korea’s nuclear and missile tests.

“The trip is aimed at checking their assets. The issue of the resumption of the Kaesong complex will be dealt with step by step after North Korea’s nuclear issue enters the stage of resolution,” Cho said.

Seoul said that North Korea should not resume operations at the complex without permission as the factories and machinery belong to South Korean firms.

By Alex Lee and newswires (alexlee @heraldcorp.com)