SEOUL, May 3 (Xinhuanet) -- South Korea's National Assembly on Tuesday approved a revision to the law on inter-Korean exchange and cooperation that allows easier and increased exchanges between the two Koreas, according to South Korean news agency Yonhap.

    Currently, any South Korean who wishes to contact a resident inthe Democratic People's Republic of Korean (DPRK) has to acquire prior authorization every time from the government or faces punishment under the National Security Law.

    Under the revised law, people can obtain a one-time permit fromthe unification minister and visit the DPRK or contact residents there as many times as needed until the permit expires. They will simply have to report their visit or meeting with a person in the DPRK before or after their meeting.

    The law also seeks to allow freer access of South Korean firms engaged in business projects with DPRK counterparts.

    To allow speedy and simplified procedures in inter-Korean trade,the legislation labels trade between the two sides as domestic exchange, while allowing firms engaged in two-way business to obtain authorization for their business and contact with people inthe DPRK at the same time.

    The South Korean government and a group of domestic firms are building a pilot industrial complex in the DPRK border town of Kaesong that seeks to house hundreds of South Korean businesses wishing to take advantage of the DPRK's cheap but skilled labor. The government has so far authorized 15 South Korean firms to moveinto the industrial park, according to Yonhap Enditem