A view of the Kaesong Industrial Complex, an inter-Korean factory park in the North Korean border city of Kaesong, as visible from a South Korean observatory in Paju, South Korea, 25 October 2018, during a visit to the observatory by members of the parliamentary land and transportation committee. File. Photo by YONHAP / EPA
Feb. 10 (Asia Today) — South Korea’s Ministry of Unification said Tuesday that the 2016 suspension of the Kaesong Industrial Complex was a “self-inflicted act” that damaged inter-Korean trust and expressed “deep regret” toward North Korea, while stopping short of citing Pyongyang’s provocations that led to the shutdown.
The statement was released to mark the 10th anniversary of the closure of the joint industrial park, once seen as a symbol of economic cooperation between the two Koreas.
The ministry said South and North Korea signed an agreement in August 2013 guaranteeing normal operations at Kaesong regardless of political or security conditions, adding that the deal had been reached at South Korea’s strong request. The remark was widely interpreted as criticism of the administration of former President Park Geun-hye, which ordered the complex’s full suspension in 2016.
The ministry also expressed regret that the complex was not restarted during the administration of former President Moon Jae-in.
It said North Korean leader Kim Jong Un stated in January 2019 that he was willing to reopen the Kaesong Industrial Complex “without any preconditions or compensation,” but South Korea failed to take follow-up measures, missing what it described as a critical opportunity.
The ministry said it hopes for an early normalization of the complex and announced plans to restore the Kaesong Industrial Complex Support Foundation, which was dissolved in 2024, as part of preparatory steps. It also pledged to work with relevant government agencies to support South Korean companies that have suffered financial and psychological hardship due to the prolonged shutdown.
Kaesong has faced repeated suspensions since its launch. Operations were halted in 2013 after North Korea conducted its third nuclear test and withdrew its workers, but later resumed after the two sides agreed on measures to prevent recurrence. In 2016, following North Korea’s fourth nuclear test and a long-range ballistic missile launch, the Park administration ordered a full shutdown, citing concerns that wages paid to North Korean workers were being diverted to Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons program.
A Unification Ministry official told reporters that the latest statement was not intended to deny North Korea’s provocations but to emphasize the government’s position on reopening the complex.
“North Korea carried out nuclear tests, but our decision to completely shut down the complex ended up harming South Korean companies and closing a key channel of inter-Korean communication,” the official said. “This message expresses regret to the North for undermining trust in inter-Korean relations.”
The ministry confirmed that North Korea is currently operating about 40 factories inside the Kaesong Industrial Complex without authorization but did not comment further on the issue.
— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI
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Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260210010003634