South Korea said on Monday (January 11) that the government would impose tougher entry restrictions to a joint factory park run with North Korea, limiting its workforce staying in the park to “minimum necessary level” from Jan. 12.
The spokesman at South Korea’s Unification Ministry told a news briefing that the government was taking stronger measures to protect its citizens after North Korea conducted its fourth nuclear test last week.
“Considering the safety of our people, the government is planning to limit the workforce staying in the Kaesong industrial complex to the minimum necessary level from Tuesday, January 12th,” said the unification ministry spokesman Jeong Joon-hee, at a news briefing.
“Therefore, we will allow people of companies and subcontractors who are directly involved in the operation of factories,” Jeong added.
The industrial zone was set up by the two Koreas in 2003 a few kilometres north of their armed border, and now employs about 53,000 North Koreans. (Reuters)