UN chief welcomes agreement by two Koreas to re-open Kaesong industrial complex

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today welcomed the agreement between the two Koreas on the re-opening of the Kaesong Industrial Complex, adding that he hopes this will lead to other constructive steps to promote trust and improve relations between the East Asian neighbours.

“He is encouraged by this positive development,” Mr. Ban’s spokesperson said in a statement, referring to the agreement reached by the Republic of Korea and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) to re-open the complex, where operations were suspended in April.

The complex is located in the border town of Kaesong just across the Demilitarized Zone. It employs more than 53,000 citizens of the DPRK at 123 companies of the Republic of Korea (ROK), according to media reports.

“The Secretary-General has stated that the complex is a successful example of the cooperation which has served as a bridge between the two Koreas. He hopes that its operation will be normalized as quickly as possible and that it faces no further interruptions to its work in the future,” said his spokesperson.

Mr. Ban also hopes that the continuous operation of the complex “will serve as a catalyst for other constructive steps, thus building mutual trust and promoting inter-Korean relations,” he added.