Conflict Between Washington and Seoul over Gaesung
Industrial Complex
With respect to the Gaesung industrial complexes, the South Korean government takes an active defense toward denouncements in some US papers. The Ministry of Unification asserted in the Wall Street Journal Asian edition, “The contribution by US special envoy Lefkowitz on North Korean human rights, which the paper carried in its April 28 Wall Street Journal edition, is totally wrong that Seoul’s unmonitored aid to North Korea and concerns of worker exploitation in the inter-Korean industrial complex at Gaesung.”
Lee Gwan Sae said in his article, “It is inappropriate that a high-ranking official of an allied country blames its partner's policy without evidence. He urged Leftkowitz to visit the complex and confirm the working conditions for himself,” adding, “what is most important is to assist the North Korean people to survive by themselves and denying humanitarian aid under the pretext of unsatisfactory monitoring may only worsen the tragedy.”
The Ministry of Unification also refuted an article in a domestic paper which said, “Domestic conglomerates feel stress due to continued requests by the central government to do business in the Gaesung industrial complexes.” But a government official also refuted this, “It is ridiculous in the recent situation of high competition for entrance into the industrial complexes by domestic small and medium size enterprises. There is no reason to push them to do so.” Unification Minister Lee Jong Seok unveiled his discontent during an MBC radio show regarding unmonitored rumors, saying, “We have never urged domestic conglomerates to participate in developing the Gaesung industrial complexes.”
According to a source, the government believes that assistance to the North also softens North Korean people's hostility toward South Korea. A government official said, “As we consider the Gaesung complex as miniature of this administration’s important policy toward North Korea, it is natural we pay attention to it.”
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 / 입력시간: 2006. 05.13. 09:29
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