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the south korean government has proposed a round of inter-korean working-level talks
to re-start joint business operations at an industrial park in the border town of gaese
ong.
seoul warned of grave consequences. should the north reject its offer this time.
hwang sung-hee has the details.
the south korean government asked north korea on thursday to come to the negotiating table
. and it wants an answer by friday morning .
we officially propose to the north korean government to hold working-level inter-korean
talks. to resolve humanitarian issues of workers at the gaeseong industrial complex and to
normalize operations there.
if the north agrees to talk officials in charge of inter-korean cooperation from the south
and the north will meet for discussions about the dire situation at their shared manufacturing
zone north of the border.
seen as the last remaining link of economic cooperation between the two koreas the ga
eseong industrial complex is a joint business park where some 53-thousand north koreans
work at 1-hundred-23 south korean-run factor ies.
operations at gaeseong came to a sudden halt more than two weeks ago. when north korea
pulled out all its workers. in retaliation against international sanctions that were
imposed after its recent nuclear test and seoul and washington's joint military drill
s.
if the north says no to the latest offer to talk seoul has warned of serious consequence
s.
there will be grave measures by the south korean government if the north rejects inter
-korean talks.
although south korea's unification ministry did not specify what the consequences might
be it did hint at a possible pull-out of some 1-hundred-70 south korean workers remaining
at the border town.
living conditions for the workers are wor sening by the day. as they are running out
of food and other daily necessities.
the ministry said time is also running out on normalizing the situation at gaeseong.
and added that both koreas know that dialogue is the only way to resolve the current tension
s.
hwang sung-hee arirang news.