U.S. Against Reopening Kaesong Industrial Park

The U.S. State Department on Monday made it clear that Washington is against the reopening of the joint-Korean Kaesong Industrial Complex.

The department's East Asian and Pacific Affairs Bureau spokesperson Grace Choi said that Seoul's 2016 decision to shut the industrial park down reflected mounting worries in the region over the North's outright violation of UN Security Council resolutions, according to Voice of America.

She also rebutted calls from some inside the camp of President Moon Jae-in to exempt the industrial park from sanctions. She urged all nations to take action to further isolate the North economically.

She added Washington has closely cooperated with Seoul over the North Korean issue and will continue to maintain to do so.

Senators Pat Toomey and Chris Van Hollen last month proposed a bill titled "Banking Restrictions Involving North Korea (BRINK) Act" that explicitly opposes the reopening of the industrial park until after the North scraps its nuclear and missile programs.

The Wall Street Journal in an editorial in May called for sanctions against South Korean businesses if they reopen the complex.