Koreas start talks on future of joint industrial park

SEOUL, July 10 (Yonhap) -- South and North Korea began working-level talks on Wednesday to discuss the future of an inter-Korean industrial complex that has remained idle for three months in the face of heightened tensions. The latest talks held in the North Korean border city of Kaesong is a follow-up to marathon negotiations conducted over the weekend at the neutral border village of Panmunjom where the two sides agreed in principle to normalize operation at the joint venture. All operations at the Kaesong Industrial Complex near the heavily fortified inter-Korean border were halted after Pyongyang unilaterally withdrew its 53,000 workers hired by the 123 South Korean plants there on April 9. The Ministry of Unification said the talks between representatives from the two sides began at 10:35 a.m. with Seoul and Pyongyang outlining their views on how to normalize operations so regular business operations can resume. The 23-member South Korean delegation crossed the demilitarized zone at 8:30 a.m. South Korea has stressed that negotiations should focus on arranging internationally acceptable safeguards to keep the joint factory complex running without being affected by political and other noneconomic developments. The South's position may be hard for North Korea to accept because it would amount to the communist country admitting responsibility for the closure of the factory park, the most visible symbol of cross-border reconciliation. The complex, which started churning out products in late 2004, was created as a result of the 2000 summit meeting between then South Korean President Kim Dae-jung and late North Korean leader Kim Jong-il. Reflecting Seoul's stance, Suh Ho, the director of the exchange and cooperation bureau at the Ministry of Unification, said that the aim of the talks is to reach an understanding based on common sense and international business standards. "Only by following such guidelines can there be development at the Kaesong complex," he said before leaving for the North Korean border town earlier in the day. "Every effort will be made to use the talks as a means to build trust and cooperation." Besides safeguards, South Korea will likely insist on changes to the existing rules on communication, passage and customs inspections governing the industrial park. The North, on the other hand, is expected to demand an immediate resumption of operations, as well as a pay raise for its workers, expanding the size of the complex, building more dormitories and changing tax rules. It may ask Seoul to do more to convince South Korean conglomerates to build factories at Kaesong. Related to the negotiations, 59 businessmen representing 59 electricity and electronics companies along with 36 support personnel from utility companies and the Kaesong Industrial District Management Committee, crossed the border at 9:00 a.m. to check their production facilities. They are to inspect facilities and take inventory of finished goods and raw materials that can be used to make products at the complex. Under the deal reached on Sunday, the North will guarantee safe passage for the businessmen and permit the retrieval of finished goods and other production materials that have been left at Kaesong. Meanwhile, a ministry official said making headway at the talks may be challenging, cautioning that negotiations may become a long-drawn affair involving several meetings. It is hard to tell when Wednesday's working-level talks will end, but businessmen will return within the day after concluding with their inspections, the official said, adding a second group of businessmen from other countries will visit Kaesong on Thursday. yonngong@yna.co.kr (END)