Return of last 7 from Gaeseong delayed

The return of the last seven South Koreans from the Gaeseong industrial complex in North Korea is being delayed with Pyeongyang demanding payments of $8 million in backlog wages and communication and utility charges.

South Korean government officials said it is unlikely that the seven will return to Seoul Wednesday before the payment issue is settled.

“We are closing in on a compromise but it is going to take a little more time to complete the negotiations,” one official said.

The payments include $7.2 million in wages for March to be paid to North Korean employees with the rest being income taxes and communication bills.

On the other hand, companies which have been operating in the industrial complex are demanding that they be allowed to withdraw parts and components as well as finished products.

Where the South Korean government is concerned, I is looking at the possibility of making the payment from government coffers and retrieving the liabilities from the companies after all issues are settled.