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North Korea on Thursday told the South it is scaling back the frequency of border crossings by South Korean personnel and vehicles to less than a third, and cut the number of personnel by half each time beginning Dec. 1, the Unification Ministry said.
Pyongyang also told the South to reduce the number of permanent South Korean officials at the Mt. Kumgang tourist resort from 200 to 100. The latest measure is part of a series of stratagems by the North to put pressure on the South. On Monday it effectively cut off all inter-Korean exchange and cooperation except the Kaesong Industrial Complex.
The Unification Ministry said the North said it will reduce overland traffic to the Kaesong industrial park across the border from 19 times (12 entries into the North and seven departures) a day to six a day (three times each way). And in case of overland traffic leading to Mt. Kumgang in the east, the North said it will reduce the frequency from four entries a day to a mere two on Tuesday only.
It will admit South Korean personnel and vehicles only between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m., instead of between 8 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. It also decided to reduce the number of South Korean visitors from 500 to 250, and visiting vehicles from 200 to 150 each time.
That will make it more difficult for South Korean companies in the industrial complex to deliver raw materials and finished products. Tours of the border city of Kaesong and regular cross-border railway services, will continue until Friday, the Unification Ministry said.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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