Most Popular
-
1
Russia sent 'anti-air' missiles to Pyongyang, Yoon's aide says
-
2
Dongduk Women’s University halts coeducation talks
-
3
Defense ministry denies special treatment for BTS’ V amid phone use allegations
-
4
OpenAI in talks with Samsung to power AI features, report says
-
5
Two jailed for forcing disabled teens into prostitution
-
6
Disney+ offers sneak peek at 2025 lineup of Korean originals
-
7
South Korean military plans to launch new division for future warfare
-
8
Gold bars and cash bundles; authorities confiscate millions from tax dodgers
-
9
Teen smoking, drinking decline, while mental health, dietary habits worsen
-
10
Kia EV9 GT marks world debut at LA Motor Show
South and North Korea plan to hold talks on a joint industrial park in the North next week to discuss a prolonged dispute over the North's unilateral move to raise wages for its workers at the complex, Seoul officials said Thursday.
North Korea has accepted the South's offer for holding the meeting at the Gaeseong Industrial Complex next Thursday at the border city of the same name, according to the unification ministry.
The move raises hopes for resolving a months-long wage row between the two Koreas following Pyongyang's unilateral bid to hike the minimum wage by 5.18 percent to $74 per month for about 55,000 North Korean workers at the park. A total of 124 South Korean small- and medium-sized enterprises are operating factories there.
The South has rejected the communist neighbor's move, saying it is in breach of a 2004 agreement that calls for the two sides to set wages through consultations. The wage cap has been set at 5 percent per year.
In August 2013, the two Koreas decided to set up a joint committee in charge of running the industrial park following the North's unilateral move in April of that year that shut down the park for about four months.
The committee is an integral part of a deal that called for reopening the complex and adopting safeguards to prevent any work stoppages in the future. The committee has not met since June last year due to the North's refusal.
The joint factory park, which opened in 2004, is the last remaining symbol of inter-Korean reconciliation. It has served as a major revenue source for the cash-strapped communist North, while South Korea has utilized cheap but skilled North Korean laborers.
In what could be a temporary relief, North Korea accepted South Korea's tentative offer in late May to pay wages at the current level of $70.35, but Seoul and Pyongyang have yet to resolve the issue fully.
Meanwhile, the ministry said that Pyongyang has sent a notice to Seoul saying that it will tighten its surveillance over South Koreans moving in and out of the complex.
The North is known to have expressed complaints over South Koreans bringing in goods, such as mobile phones and newspapers, that are restricted in the North, vowing to take punitive actions if found.
In response, the South said that the issue should be dealt with in accordance with the two sides' agreement and related regulations, according to the ministry. (Yonhap)
North Korea has accepted the South's offer for holding the meeting at the Gaeseong Industrial Complex next Thursday at the border city of the same name, according to the unification ministry.
The move raises hopes for resolving a months-long wage row between the two Koreas following Pyongyang's unilateral bid to hike the minimum wage by 5.18 percent to $74 per month for about 55,000 North Korean workers at the park. A total of 124 South Korean small- and medium-sized enterprises are operating factories there.
The South has rejected the communist neighbor's move, saying it is in breach of a 2004 agreement that calls for the two sides to set wages through consultations. The wage cap has been set at 5 percent per year.
In August 2013, the two Koreas decided to set up a joint committee in charge of running the industrial park following the North's unilateral move in April of that year that shut down the park for about four months.
The committee is an integral part of a deal that called for reopening the complex and adopting safeguards to prevent any work stoppages in the future. The committee has not met since June last year due to the North's refusal.
The joint factory park, which opened in 2004, is the last remaining symbol of inter-Korean reconciliation. It has served as a major revenue source for the cash-strapped communist North, while South Korea has utilized cheap but skilled North Korean laborers.
In what could be a temporary relief, North Korea accepted South Korea's tentative offer in late May to pay wages at the current level of $70.35, but Seoul and Pyongyang have yet to resolve the issue fully.
Meanwhile, the ministry said that Pyongyang has sent a notice to Seoul saying that it will tighten its surveillance over South Koreans moving in and out of the complex.
The North is known to have expressed complaints over South Koreans bringing in goods, such as mobile phones and newspapers, that are restricted in the North, vowing to take punitive actions if found.
In response, the South said that the issue should be dealt with in accordance with the two sides' agreement and related regulations, according to the ministry. (Yonhap)
