SEOUL, April 5 (Xinhua) -- South Korean unification minister said Friday that the Seoul government is not mulling the withdrawal of all workers from the joint industrial complex at Kaesong, the border town of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).
"At this stage, (the South Korean government) is not considering the pullout from the Kaesong industrial complex," Unification Minister Ryoo Kihl-jae said at a meeting with foreign correspondents in Seoul. "Safety of workers there does not seem to be put in much jeopardy."
Asked about worries over the shutdown of the complex, the minister said that "the Korean government does not want such situation," stressing that "what the government really wants is to maintain and develop the complex in a stable manner."
Ryoo, however, cautioned that "when the situation requires, the withdrawal should be carried out for the safety of workers," noting that "the (possible) disruption in production at the complex is totally up to the North (DPRK)."
His comments came amid escalating tensions on the Korean peninsula after the DPRK staged its third nuclear test on Feb. 12 in a protest against the joint military drills between South Korea and the U.S.
On Wednesday, Pyongyang banned the entry of South Korean workers to the Kaesong industrial park, allowing only for their departure from Kaesong. The inter-Korean industrial zone, launched in late 2004, is housing around 120 South Korean companies that are employing some 54,000 DPRK workers.
Minister Ryoo said that Seoul has had its door open for dialogue with Pyongyang, urging the DPRK to stop its threats and provocations.
SEOUL, April 4 (Xinhua) -- South Korean defense minister said Thursday that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) has moved an intermediate-range missile to its east coast for test- firing or military drill.
"It was not a KN-08 missile, but it can reach a significant distance," Kim Kwan-jin told lawmakers at a parliamentary defense committee meeting. "It cannot reach the U.S. mainland. The missile seemed to be moved for the test-firing or military drill purpose." Full story
WASHINGTON, April 3 (Xinhua) -- The United States said on Wednesday that Pyongyang's latest move to deny South Korean workers access to a joint industrial complex was "regrettable."
"We consider this a regrettable move. We think that the ban ought to be lifted," State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said at a regular news briefing. Full story
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