N. Korea maintains entry ban on Kaesong complex

SEOUL, April 4 (Yonhap) -- North Korea on Thursday maintained its entry ban on South Korean workers and cargo wanting to go to the inter-Korean industrial park in Kaesong for the second day despite Seoul's calls to lift the passage restrictions, checkpoint authorities said. The Customs, Immigration and Quarantine Office in Paju, about 50 kilometers northwest of Seoul, said entry has been blocked again and only those currently in Kaesong can return home. It said of the 828 people who stayed overnight at the complex, 222 people and 137 vehicles are expected to cross over the demilitarized zone (DMZ) that separates the two Koreas during the day. On Wednesday, when Pyongyang first announced it will block South Koreans from entering the industrial park, only 33 returned over the DMZ. Normal operations took place at Kaesong, although work will likely be affected if no materials and parts are allowed to reach the 123 factories run by South Korean companies. yonngong@yna.co.kr (END)