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Seoul urged to accept DPRK demand on factory park

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-06-20 09:09

PYONGYANG -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) demanded that South Korea accept its revised version of contracts on the Kaesong Joint Industrial Complex, the KCNA news agency reported Friday.

South Korea has "got the biggest profits from the industrial park from a political, economic and military point of view," said the DPRK at government-level talks with South Korea on the joint industrial park.

Kim Young-tak (C, front), head of the delegation from South Korea, receives interview as members of the delegation cross the northern border of South Korea to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)'s Kaesong, June 19, 2009. [Xinhua]

"If the south side truly wishes to see the complex operating on a stable basis, it should affirmatively accept the issues and innovative proposals put forward by the north side and positively respond to them," the KCNA reported.

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The DPRK also blasted South Korea for fully participating in the US-led Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) and "zealously joining" in the sanctions against the DPRK, which was intended to undermine the industrial park, said the report.

The two sides, which met after the previous talks held on April 21 and June 11, had two sessions of talks in Kaesong on Friday, but failed to narrow their differences on the thorny issues.

South Korea and the DPRK, on the other hand, agreed to continue their discussions on July 2.

Earlier last week, the two sides held their second round of talks, as the DPRK reportedly asked South Korea to quadruple the monthly wages of DPRK workers from current US$70 to 300, and raise the land rent from the current US$16 million to 500 million, a 31-fold hike.

South Korea rejected the demands, blaiming it for "going too far," and urged the DPRK to release the South Koreans who were detained in the complex.

The Kaesong complex, where 106 South Korean companies hired some 40,000 DPRK workers in their production of various products, such as electronics, watches, shoes and utensils.

The park, located in the DPRK's border town of Kaesong, was jointly set up as a reconciliation project of the two sides.