The Korea Herald

피터빈트

Two Koreas agree on Gaeseong complex normalization

By 양승진

Published : Aug. 14, 2013 - 19:09

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GAESEONG  -- South and North Korea reached a five-point agreement Wednesday to reopen a shuttered joint industrial park that has been idle for more than four months, the government said.

"The agreement was signed by Kim Ki-woong, Seoul's chief delegate and his North Korean counterpart Park Chol-su,“ a Unification Ministry official said.

Ministry officials said the two sides adopted the agreement after day-long negotiations in the North's border city of Gaeseong.

The joint complex has been closed since early April when the North pulled out all of its 53,000 workers from 123 South Korean factories operating there, citing rising military tensions.

No details of the agreement were announced but the deal is believed to include safeguards to prevent another shutdown of the factory park. Seoul has maintained that a firm North Korean guarantee not to close the zone again is key to agreement. (Yonhap News)