South Korea calls for reopening of inter-Korean industrial complex

The Gaeseong Industrial Complex area in the North Korean city of Gaeseong is seen from the South Korean side of the Demilitarized Zone in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, Monday. Yonhap

The South Korean government on Tuesday called for the swift reopening of the Gaeseong Industrial Complex in North Korea, marking 10 years since its shutdown and describing it as a "safety valve for peace on the Korean Peninsula."

It acknowledged that Seoul's unilateral suspension of the inter-Korean complex in February 2016 under then-President Park Geun-hye had undermined the foundation of mutual trust between the two Koreas, calling it a "self-inflicted setback."

"The government hopes for the swift normalization of the Gaeseong Industrial Complex," the Ministry of Unification said in a statement issued by its spokesperson.

The ministry noted that in August 2013, the two Koreas signed an agreement during working-level talks guaranteeing the complex's normal operations regardless of the political situation.

"The unilateral shutdown of the complex in February 2016 amounted to a self-inflicted setback that undermined the foundation of mutual trust and shared growth between the two Koreas," the statement said.

Launched in 2004, the joint inter-Korean venture allowed South Korean manufacturers to operate factories in the North employing North Korean workers.

The Park administration closed it on Feb. 10, 2016, in response to Pyongyang's nuclear and missile provocations, and ordered South Korean business operators to withdraw on short notice.

The unification ministry also said Seoul "missed a critical opportunity" in January 2019 when North Korean leader Kim Jong-un expressed willingness to resume its operations without any preconditions or compensation, as the South "failed to take corresponding measures."

The ministry said it would step up efforts to normalize operations at the complex.

"As a first step, we hope to restore long-suspended inter-Korean communication channels and resume dialogue and consultations aimed at restarting the Gaeseong Industrial Complex and rebuilding trust between the two Koreas," the spokesperson said.

It added that the government plans to work closely with the National Assembly to restore the Gaeseong Industrial District Foundation — a government-affiliated body that manages operations at the complex — to lay the groundwork necessary for reopening it.