South, North Korea Reopen Joint Industrial Complex

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South, North Korea Reopen Joint Industrial Complex - Report

RIA Novosti, PUBLISHED September 21, 2013

South and North Korea resumed the operation of their troubled joint industrial area with a trial-run production on Monday, the Yonhap news agency reported.

The two Koreas agreed to reopen the Kaesong zone in the North's eponymous border city, which was idle since April, after several rounds of talks in August.

According to the agency, over half of 123 South Korean companies at the Kaesong Industrial Complex began trial operations on Monday and 821 South Korean managers and workers were expected to cross over the border into Kaesong throughout the day.

The negotiations to reopen the industrial complex came after months of high tensions on the Korean Peninsula intensified by North Korea's third nuclear test in February and its threats of launching nuclear attacks against South Korea and Washington.

In a further sign of escalating tensions between the North and South, Pyongyang suspended from April all operations at Kaesong and pulled out all of its 53,000 staff working for the 123 South Korean companies. Six days before, the North banned South Korean personnel from entering the complex.

Topics: Asia, DPRK, South Korea

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