North Korea, Kaesong Industrial Complex, interpretation of standardization procedures in the explanation of the "verification of facilities" of the Government – Kookmin Ilbo

Businessmen at the Gaeseong Industrial Complex are expected to visit the factory at the end of the month and look for factory facilities that have been closed for two and a half years. On July 24, the Unification Ministry announced that it was in talks with North Korea to visit the officials of the Kaesong Industrial Complex. The government said the visit was not related to the restart of the Kaesong Industrial Complex, but it is interpreted that the inter-Korean summit is not a sign of normalization of the Kaesong Industrial Complex agreed in Pyongyang the month latest.

Baek Tae-hyun, spokesman for the Ministry of Unification, said at a regular press briefing: "The government is negotiating with the North on the issue of inspection by the North Korea badets of entrepreneurs who invested in the Gaesong Industrial Complex. " The Kaesong Industrial Complex has requested six visits to South Korea until recently, and the government explained that it was necessary to inspect the facilities before the winter season, thus seeking to protect North Korea from public property rights.

Currently, the two Koreas are negotiating a plan to check the site of the Kaesong Industrial Complex for three days, from the 31st to the next month. The size of the North Korean unit will be about 150. An official from the Kaesong Industrial Emergency Management Committee said, "We are going to visit 123 manufacturing companies registered in the badociation and 30 sales companies such as only convenience stores and restaurants. " We plan to visit the site a day for three people, one for each company. In the course of revision. "The manager added," We only learned this morning. "

There is a good chance that the Kaesong government industrial complex will not be a sign of a resumption of operations, but a spokesman for Cheong Wa Dae said: "There will be a recovery only if the resolution of sanctions against North Korea is resolved. The government said it was in close consultation with the United States. A government official said: "Since the problem of the Gaeseong industrial complex is very sensitive, we are discussing with the United States through the Foreign Ministry and I know that the United States is also in favor of this visit."

However, it is also feared that the aggressive inter-Korean economic cooperation recently launched by the government will lead to greater divergence with the United States. In particular, it is expected that the controversy in the political circle will continue to intensify as the government has ratified the September Pyongyang joint declaration without the consent of the National Assembly. A diplomatic source said: "It is true that businessmen do not violate the sanctions against North Korea, but the facts are different from those of the international community." I understand the government's intention to do North- It is not desirable that the position of the liver be generalized. "

At the same time, the government spent 9.78 billion won for the renovation of the joint liaison office in Gaeseong, which began in July and ended in September. The government has spent 7.9 billion won for office and housing repairs, 1,680 billion for the maintenance of support facilities, such as water dispensers, and 168 million won for inspection. Although the government has explained that the cost of construction is high due to the fact that staff costs include a "risk allowance" and travel expenses up to the personality, the government explained that the cost renovation is excessive. Previously, the Ministry of Unification had decided on a program to support the North Korean cooperation fund in the amount of 86 million won for the renovation work carried out in July.

Choi Seung Uk, journalist, [email protected]