Marking 10 years since the shutdown of the Kaesong Industrial Complex, the Ministry of Unification released a position saying it "hopes for an early normalization." The ministry called the 2016 full suspension of the complex "a self-harming act that damaged the foundation of inter-Korean trust and joint growth."
In a statement released on the 10th, the Ministry of Unification said, "The Kaesong Industrial Complex was a safety valve for peace on the Korean Peninsula that eased inter-Korean tensions and confrontation, and a representative practical space for economic development in the inter-Korean border area and joint growth of the two Koreas—a 'testing ground for unification.'"
It went on to say that even though an agreement was reached at the inter-Korean working-level talks on Aug. 14, 2013, to "guarantee normal operations of the Kaesong Industrial Complex regardless of the situation," our side unilaterally imposed a full shutdown of the complex in Feb. 2016, calling it "a self-harming act that damaged mutual trust."
The Ministry of Unification also said, "In Jan. 2019, Kim Jong-un, chairman of the State Affairs Commission of North Korea, directly conveyed a willingness to resume the Kaesong Industrial Complex without any preconditions or compensation, but our side failed to take corresponding measures and missed a decisive opportunity to restart operations," adding, "We find this very regrettable and express deep regret."
As for the way forward, it first proposed restoring inter-Korean communication channels. The Ministry of Unification said, "The government hopes for the early normalization of the Kaesong Industrial Complex," and added, "We expect the long-severed communication channels to be restored so that multifaceted communication and dialogue can resume on the issue of restarting the complex and restoring the broken trust between the two Koreas."
It continued, "Internally, we plan to systematically make institutional preparations for a restart, including promptly restoring the 'Gaeseong Industrial District Foundation,' which was dissolved in 2024, in cooperation with the National Assembly."
The Ministry of Unification also noted the need to support businesspeople struggling due to the prolonged shutdown of the complex. The ministry added, "With a heavy sense of responsibility for businesspeople suffering mental and material hardship, we plan to seek multifaceted measures for corporate management stability through consultations with relevant ministries."
The Kaesong Industrial Complex began with an agreement between Hyundai Asan and the Asia-Pacific Peace Committee to develop an industrial district in the North in 2000, and construction began in June 2003. At one point, more than 120 corporations had moved in, but the Park Geun-hye administration decided on a full suspension of operations on Feb. 10, 2016, as a response to North Korea's fourth nuclear test and long-range rocket launch. In June 2020, North Korea blew up the inter-Korean liaison office building within the Kaesong Industrial Complex.