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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| South Korea proposes Kaesong talks with North | South Korea proposes Kaesong talks with North |
| (34 minutes later) | |
| South Korea has offered working-level talks with the North on reopening the jointly-run Kaesong industrial zone. | South Korea has offered working-level talks with the North on reopening the jointly-run Kaesong industrial zone. |
| Seoul made the proposal a day after Pyongyang said South Korean officials could visit the closed complex to inspect and maintain equipment. | Seoul made the proposal a day after Pyongyang said South Korean officials could visit the closed complex to inspect and maintain equipment. |
| Work at the factory park, which was a rare symbol of North-South co-operation, was halted in April amid high regional tensions. | Work at the factory park, which was a rare symbol of North-South co-operation, was halted in April amid high regional tensions. |
| Attempts to hold high-level talks last month failed on procedural grounds. | Attempts to hold high-level talks last month failed on procedural grounds. |
| "The government wants talks to be held at the truce village of Panmunjom," South Korea's Ministry of Unification said in a statement. | "The government wants talks to be held at the truce village of Panmunjom," South Korea's Ministry of Unification said in a statement. |
| "Seoul's stance remains consistent and centres on government authorities resolving all outstanding issues through dialogue." | "Seoul's stance remains consistent and centres on government authorities resolving all outstanding issues through dialogue." |
| It said the offer of talks was made via a North-South hotline that was cut by Pyongyang in June but has now been restored. | It said the offer of talks was made via a North-South hotline that was cut by Pyongyang in June but has now been restored. |
| Operations suspended | |
| South Korea proposed that the talks take place on Saturday. | |
| Prior to operations being suspended, there were around 120 South Korean businesses in the factory park, which had provided the North with a source of much-needed hard currency. | |
| On Wednesday, North Korea said it would allow South Korean companies to enter the complex, which is located just inside North Korea, to protect their equipment from damage in the rainy season. | |
| The offer came after some South Korean firms threatened to abandon the zone entirely and relocate their equipment. | |
| A spokesman representing electronic and machinery makers in Kaesong had said: "Kaesong must be reopened or [the factories] have to move elsewhere". | |
| Pyongyang withdrew its 53,000 workers from the complex in April, apparently angered by tightened UN sanctions in the wake of its nuclear test in February, and annual South Korea-US military drills. | Pyongyang withdrew its 53,000 workers from the complex in April, apparently angered by tightened UN sanctions in the wake of its nuclear test in February, and annual South Korea-US military drills. |
| North Korea also prevented South Korean workers from entering the joint commercial zone. | |
| The last South Korean workers left the zone on 3 May. | The last South Korean workers left the zone on 3 May. |
| In June, officials from North and South Korea agreed to hold their first high-level government meeting since 2007, focused on resuming operations at Kaesong industrial park. | |
| However, the planned talks were suspended after the two sides disagreed on the composition of the delegations. | |
| North Korea then proposed high-level talks with the US. | |
| However, both Washington and Seoul responded coolly to the offer, with the US saying that Pyongyang would be judged "by its actions and not its words". |