An agreement between Seoul and Pyongyang to reopen their joint industrial complex was a welcome sign for inter-Korean relations, but much work is still needed for the two sides to put their relations on a positive footing, a Chinese scholar said Thursday.

South and North Korea agreed on Wednesday to reopen the Gaeseong industrial complex in the North’s border city, which was shut down in April amid soaring tensions following Pyongyang’s third nuclear test.

However, they failed to set an exact date for resuming operations at the Gaeseong complex, the last remaining symbol of inter-Korean reconciliation.

Gong Yuzhen, a professor on international affairs at Peking University, told the state-run China Daily that the agreement does move the situation on the Korean Peninsula forward, but there are still reseasons to remain cautious.

“However, we cannot be too optimistic. The possibility of the situation worsening on the Korean Peninsula still remains because the structural problems between Seoul and Pyongyang have not been resolved,” the paper quoted Gong as saying. (Yonhap News)