The Unification Ministry condemned remarks by the U.S. special envoy for North Korean human rights, Jay Lefkowitz, that North Korean laborers at the complex are paid less than US$2 a day and conditions there should be inspected by the International Labor Organization. Lefkowitz told a forum at the conservative Enterprise Institute in Washington that North Korean workers at the complex do not enjoy guaranteed labor rights and an international organization like the ILO should inspect the complex and report its findings to the UN.

Ministry spokesman Lee Gwan-se said the official’s remarks were made without verifying actual conditions and “provide misleading information that not only distorts the situation but damages the image of South Korean enterprises working there.” Lee said though it was true that the minimum daily wage at the Kaesong complex is around $2, that was still far higher than the average wage of North Koreans elsewhere. “Even compared to the average wage in other socialist economies in Asia, the figure is not low at all,” he said. He added conditions such as a 48-hour working week, maternity leave for workers and criteria for industrial safety meet ILO standards.

(englishnews@chosun.com )