Unauthorized Use of South Korean Factories in Kaesong by North Korea
South Korea Accuses North Korea of Illegally Using Factories in Kaesong Industrial Complex
According to Yonhap, South Korea’s Ministry Spokesperson Koo has accused North Korea of illegally using 30 factories belonging to South Korea in the Kaesong Industrial Complex. In a press release, Koo claimed that the equipment of South Korean companies in the industrial facility was used without permission, despite repeated calls and warnings to the Pyongyang administration.
Furthermore, Koo stated that debris removal work was being carried out in the liaison office that the Pyongyang administration blew up in 2020, and called for these actions violating property rights to be stopped immediately. Koo emphasized that North Korea’s illegal actions also constitute a clear violation of agreements between the South and the North.
The Ministry of Unification previously claimed in May that North Korea had used 10 factories belonging to South Koreans in the joint industrial facility without permission. Additionally, Voice of America reported on April 20 that satellite images indicated that 21 buildings in the Kaesong Industrial Complex were in use.
The Kaesong Industrial Complex, established in 2004 as a symbol of the inter-Korean reconciliation process, was closed in February 2016 in response to North Korea’s nuclear program and long-range missile tests. The ongoing dispute over the use of factories in the complex adds to the existing tensions between the two Koreas.
