North Korea expels South Koreans from Kaesong industrial zone

Pyongyang today demanded that all South Koreans leave the joint industrial zone and confiscate their assets in response to Seoul's new decision.

South Korean vehicles leave Kaesong today. Photo: AFP

The Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea (CPRK) announced today the closure of the inter-Korean industrial park, declaring it a military zone, AFP reported.companyKCNAsaid

"South Korean forces paid a harsh and painful price for stopping operations at the industrial complex.Kaesong," the CPRK statement said.

Accordingly, all Korean citizens must leave at 5 p.m. local time, taking nothing but personal belongings. Assets of Korean companies and organizations, including machinery, raw materials and goods, will be confiscated.

Military hotlines with South Korea and main communication channel through the truce villagePanmunjom was also cut off, as soon as the expulsion was completed.The announcement was posted on KCNA just 30 minutes before the deadline.

Some South Koreans who returned this morning said North Korea had increased its military presence in Kaesong, including armed soldiers carrying backpacks and sleeping bags.Kim Soo-Hee, a nurse working in the complex, said she saw several military trucks.

The move marks a new escalation in tensions between the two sides, since Pyongyang launched a long-range missile last weekend.

Korea yesterdayNorth Korea is suspected of using funds from Kaesong to improve its nuclear weapons and long-range missile programs, and the shutdown of the complex is aimed at preventing that use, the U.N.

South Korea has 124 companies operating in Kaesong, mostly small and medium-sized enterprises. These companies provide jobs for nearly 55,000 North Korean workers as of August last year.The industrial park generated 132 billion won, or $110 million, in wages and fees for North Korea in 2015.

North Korea launched a rocket on February 7 carrying the Kwangmyongsong-4 satellite into orbit. Pyongyang claims its program is purely for scientific purposes, but some countries suspect the launch is a cover for testing ballistic missile technology.

According to VNE