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South Korean firms operating in the Kaesong Industrial Complex said the expulsion of 11 South Korean officials by the North will have no immediate significant effects on the project itself. But they expressed concern that inter-Korean conflict could further deepen and inter-Korean economic cooperation suffer as a result.
Currently, a total of 67 South Korean firms are operating, and some 180 others are building their plants in the Kaesong complex. Hwang Woo-seung, chief of the garment maker Sinwon Ebenezer's Kaesong unit, said, "North Korean workers don't know of the incident yet. They are working regularly or overtime as usual."
An executive of another firm said, however, "It¡¯s true we're worried¡± that an agreement reached at the inter-Korean summit last year including easier communication, travel and customs clearance for South Korean businesspeople running businesses in North Korea might not be implemented properly.
Hyundai Asan also continued its tour programs to downtown Kaesong and Mt. Kumgang as usual. A total of 1,200 South Korean tourists, 500 to Kaesong and 700 to Mt. Geumgang, visited North Korea on Thursday.
The operation of firms and construction of new plants continued as normal. A Hyundai Asan executive said, "The latest incident is unlikely to have serious effects on current inter-Korean projects, considering that it was caused by conflict between the authorities in the two Koreas.¡±
The executive added, ¡°But if the conflict persists, we could face real difficulties."
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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