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| South Korea makes overture to North Korea on Kaesong factory park | South Korea makes overture to North Korea on Kaesong factory park |
| (3 months later) | |
| South Korea's government says it has reached out to North Korea to discuss restarting a jointly-run factory park after weeks of testy silence between the two sides. | South Korea's government says it has reached out to North Korea to discuss restarting a jointly-run factory park after weeks of testy silence between the two sides. |
| The industrial complex in the North Korean city of Kaesong, just north of the demilitarised zone dividing the two countries, has been shut since a political showdown in April. | The industrial complex in the North Korean city of Kaesong, just north of the demilitarised zone dividing the two countries, has been shut since a political showdown in April. |
| On Thursday, South Korea said it proposed holding working-level talks with North Korean officials in the truce village of Panmunjom inside the DMZ. | On Thursday, South Korea said it proposed holding working-level talks with North Korean officials in the truce village of Panmunjom inside the DMZ. |
| Seoul wants to set the grounds for discussions on restarting the factory park, as well as ways to manage the facilities and goods that South Korean businesses left behind. South Korea proposed holding talks on Saturday and would send three delegates, the unification ministry said. | Seoul wants to set the grounds for discussions on restarting the factory park, as well as ways to manage the facilities and goods that South Korean businesses left behind. South Korea proposed holding talks on Saturday and would send three delegates, the unification ministry said. |
| There was no immediate reply from Pyongyang, but on Wednesday North Korea had responded to a plea from South Korean business managers seeking to visit Kaesong to move their goods and equipment out of the park. | There was no immediate reply from Pyongyang, but on Wednesday North Korea had responded to a plea from South Korean business managers seeking to visit Kaesong to move their goods and equipment out of the park. |
| Pyongyang had previously refused the South Koreans permission to cross the border into Kaesong to check on their factories. | Pyongyang had previously refused the South Koreans permission to cross the border into Kaesong to check on their factories. |
| North Korea pulled out its 53,000 workers earlier this year in protest at South Korea holding military exercises with the US not far from the border. South Korea then ordered its managers to leave as well, against their wishes. | North Korea pulled out its 53,000 workers earlier this year in protest at South Korea holding military exercises with the US not far from the border. South Korea then ordered its managers to leave as well, against their wishes. |
| Kaesong, which facilitated nearly $2bn a year in cross-border trade, had been the last joint project left as relations between the two Koreas soured over the past five years. | Kaesong, which facilitated nearly $2bn a year in cross-border trade, had been the last joint project left as relations between the two Koreas soured over the past five years. |
| The closure also meant a loss of salary for tens of thousands of North Korean workers employed in hundreds of South Korean-run factories, and a loss of goods and orders for business managers who relied on Kaesong. | The closure also meant a loss of salary for tens of thousands of North Korean workers employed in hundreds of South Korean-run factories, and a loss of goods and orders for business managers who relied on Kaesong. |
| The two countries had tried last month to hold talks on Kaesong and other stalled projects. The talks in Seoul would have been the first senior-level meeting in years. But the plans broke down over a protocol issue. | The two countries had tried last month to hold talks on Kaesong and other stalled projects. The talks in Seoul would have been the first senior-level meeting in years. But the plans broke down over a protocol issue. |
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