Seoul withholds approval of request to visit Gaeseong Industrial Complex and check assets
- 5 years ago
정부, 개성공단 기업인 방북 신청 이번에도 승인 유보... 7번째 방북시도 무산
Next month marks three years since operations at the Gaeseong Industrial Complex was suspended.
South Koreans who ran businesses there, were hoping to cross the border to check their assets left behind.
For the seventh time they sent a request to the government to let them visit the inter-Korean factory park... but Seoul is withholding the approval.
Oh Jung-hee has the full story.
The hopes of nearly 200 South Korean businesspeople to visit the now-suspended inter-Korean factory park and check on assets left over there... has fallen through once again.
Earlier in January, the businesspeople sent a request to Seoul's unification ministry... to let them visit the complex.
The Seoul government gave it a review, even extending their deadline by a week,... but in the end decided to withhold approval.
"The government withholds the approval of the 179 businesspeople's request to visit the Gaeseong Industrial Complex, until necessary conditions are set. We understand and agree on the need to check the assets there. The government will try to make it happen as soon as possible."
It was their 7th failed attempt to visit the complex since it was shut down three years ago.
In fact, 2019 had started bright for the businesspeople.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un explicitly expressed his willingness to resume the Gaeseong Industrial Complex (quote)"without any precondition or price."
And South Korean President Moon Jae-in welcomed Kim's remarks,... saying everything that needs to be sorted out with North Korea in resuming the project are resolved.
Amid the upbeat atmosphere, South Korean firms that ran businesses in Gaeseong, submitted their 7th request to the government to visit the complex north of the border.
"Companies have plans for the new year, which have to be set after checking the assets there. We just want to visit the complex. We are not even talking about resuming the businesses there. It will just be a visit that doesn't violate sanctions."
But, the barrier of international sanctions still remains high.
An unnamed unification ministry official hinted... of difficulties earning the international community's understanding on this front.
This, in other words, refers to the ongoing sanctions regime... and the image that inter-Korean economic cooperation could seem to be getting ahead of progress in denuclearization talks.
South Korea says it's always sharing with the U.S. the specifics regarding the Gaeseong business owners.
"But concerns are high for the business owners.
They had to leave behind their assets following the sudden government decision to shut down the complex in 2016.
And next month marks three years of the factory park's closure.
Oh Jung-hee, Arirang News."
Next month marks three years since operations at the Gaeseong Industrial Complex was suspended.
South Koreans who ran businesses there, were hoping to cross the border to check their assets left behind.
For the seventh time they sent a request to the government to let them visit the inter-Korean factory park... but Seoul is withholding the approval.
Oh Jung-hee has the full story.
The hopes of nearly 200 South Korean businesspeople to visit the now-suspended inter-Korean factory park and check on assets left over there... has fallen through once again.
Earlier in January, the businesspeople sent a request to Seoul's unification ministry... to let them visit the complex.
The Seoul government gave it a review, even extending their deadline by a week,... but in the end decided to withhold approval.
"The government withholds the approval of the 179 businesspeople's request to visit the Gaeseong Industrial Complex, until necessary conditions are set. We understand and agree on the need to check the assets there. The government will try to make it happen as soon as possible."
It was their 7th failed attempt to visit the complex since it was shut down three years ago.
In fact, 2019 had started bright for the businesspeople.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un explicitly expressed his willingness to resume the Gaeseong Industrial Complex (quote)"without any precondition or price."
And South Korean President Moon Jae-in welcomed Kim's remarks,... saying everything that needs to be sorted out with North Korea in resuming the project are resolved.
Amid the upbeat atmosphere, South Korean firms that ran businesses in Gaeseong, submitted their 7th request to the government to visit the complex north of the border.
"Companies have plans for the new year, which have to be set after checking the assets there. We just want to visit the complex. We are not even talking about resuming the businesses there. It will just be a visit that doesn't violate sanctions."
But, the barrier of international sanctions still remains high.
An unnamed unification ministry official hinted... of difficulties earning the international community's understanding on this front.
This, in other words, refers to the ongoing sanctions regime... and the image that inter-Korean economic cooperation could seem to be getting ahead of progress in denuclearization talks.
South Korea says it's always sharing with the U.S. the specifics regarding the Gaeseong business owners.
"But concerns are high for the business owners.
They had to leave behind their assets following the sudden government decision to shut down the complex in 2016.
And next month marks three years of the factory park's closure.
Oh Jung-hee, Arirang News."