Asia-Pacific

ROK, DPRK to co-evaluate trips on industrial survey

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-01-14 16:48

SEOUL: The Republic of Korea (ROK) and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) have agreed to hold a bilateral meeting to evaluate their joint trips to China and Vietnam on industrial survey last month, news agency Yonhap reported Thursday citing a government source.

According to the report, the ROK first proposed holding an evaluation meeting to the DPRK during their joint trip, and the DPRK side accepted it on Wednesday.

Officials from the two Koreas visited industrial complexes in China and Vietnam from December 12 to 22 to conduct joint surveys in an effort to find benchmark models and learn from successful ventures to enhance the operation of their Kaesong joint industrial park.

After the trip, both countries recognized the need for a more stable management at the Kaesong complex, agreeing to raise its competitiveness and resolve pendent issues through further dialogue, the ROK's unification minister said at a press conference.

Throughout the trip, the DPRK officials were "always cooperative and actively engaged," the minister added, as they were particularly interested in employee wage and insurance systems.

The joint move was the third between the two countries following trips in 2005 and 2007.

The Kaesong Complex, built in 2004 as an inter-Korean reconciliation project, currently has 116 ROK businesses employing more than 42,000 DPRK workers, with an output reaching nearly $27 million in October.