Koreas mostly agree on creating joint committee to oversee Kaesong: official

SEOUL, Aug. 20 (Yonhap) -- The two Koreas are likely to clear another hurdle toward reopening an inter-Korean factory zone in North Korea as they appear to have little difference in their stances on the issue of creating a joint committee to oversee operations there, a government source said Tuesday. In a landmark deal, South and North Korea agreed last Wednesday to reopen the Kaesong Industrial Complex, which has been shuttered since early April after the North pulled all its 53,000 workers from factories run by South Korean firms there in protest of annual military exercises by South Korea and the United States. As part of the breakthrough, the two sides will set up a joint committee that will run the complex and prevent another unilateral shutdown. In the past, a North Korean government body, General Bureau for Central Guidance to the Development of the Special Zone, effectively made all decisions regarding operations at the Kaesong complex. "Seoul has examined the first draft for the creation of the joint committee sent by the North and confirmed it is not too different from the general plan being pursued by the (South Korean) government," the official, who declined to be identified, said, adding that the North sent its proposal on Monday. After taking into consideration the North's proposal and adding a few ideas, Seoul should be able to send its draft to Pyongyang for review, he said, adding that the negotiations are made via the exchange of documents. The official's comment is an indication that the landmark agreement to reopen the last remaining symbol of inter-Korean reconciliation can move ahead as planned, getting one step closer to normalization of operations at the industrial zone. Businesses that have factories in the border town have said that preparations to restart operations may take up to two months, which include making repairs and sending production materials there. Meanwhile, 37 people from Kaesong Industrial District Management Committee and utility companies have crossed the border to check on infrastructure to test readiness for resumption at the complex, according to Seoul's Ministry of Unification, which oversees all cross-border relations. Starting Thursday, more personnel from South Korean firms will make similar trips to check their facilities to prepare for reopening, the ministry said. On Thursday, electricity and machinery companies plan to send technicians, followed by textile firms on Friday. From Monday onwards, companies can send their employees to the North Korean border town depending on how urgent their needs are to get their factories back into order. The North had lifted all restrictions it imposed on travel and movement of people before last week's agreement was reached. The latest developments come after companies sent workers to retrieve finished goods and production materials from the factory park from July 10-19 after the two sides agreed in principle to reopen the complex on July 7. yonngong@yna.co.kr (END)