By Jun Ji-hye
President Park Geun-hye called on North Korea to keep to the inter-Korean agreement regarding the management of the Gaesong Industrial Complex, Monday, saying that was a fundamental solution to normalizing its operations.
“Trust between the South and North will only be built with the keeping of mutual commitments. Only after that, will the two Koreas be able to make new promises,” Park said at a meeting with her senior presidential secretaries.
The President said such trust-building is not only limited to Seoul, but also related to gaining the trust of the international community.
“Seoul and Pyongyang previously drew up an agreement regarding investment in the complex and workers access, which the North has to carry through with,” Park said.
The Stalinist state banned South Korean workers from entering the joint complex early this month and said it had decided to close Gaesong. So far, Pyongyang has shown no signs of resuming operations there, shifting the responsibility to Seoul.
“The complex has been at risk of being shut down due to Seoul’s increasing hostility toward Pyongyang,” the North's Rodong Sinmun reported Monday.
The operation of the inter-Korean complex has been suspended for more than two weeks and the number of South Koreans staying there is now just 180, one-fifth of the total complement, resulting in damage to the business of 123 companies involved in the complex.
Some companies reported they have had contracts canceled by overseas buyers.
Park asked the ministries concerned to seek ways to support the firms at the earliest possible date.
“It is very regrettable that our workers are having a difficult time in Gaesong. The government needs to urgently and actively address their problems,” Park said.