North Korean workers absent from joint industrial park
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 5 April 2013 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, North Korean workers absent from joint industrial park, 5 April 2013, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/519a6b439.html [accessed 20 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
April 05, 2013
An aerial view of the inter-Korean industrial park in Kaesong (file photo)
South Korean news agency Yonhap says that the 53,000 North Korean workers employed in the Kaesong industrial complex jointly run by the two Koreas just north of their common border did not show up for work on April 5.
Yonhap quoted the South's Unification Ministry as saying that the operations were halted in observance of North Korea's Arbor Day holiday.
The holiday was declared a day off for the first time in North Korea this year.
Pyongyang has barred traffic from South Korea into the complex since April 3, only allowing workers to leave, while the South has said it is ready to withdraw all its workers from Kaesong.
Tensions on the Korean peninsula are growing with South Korea and its ally the United States beefing up defenses after Pyongyang issued threats, including a vow to launch a possible nuclear strike.
Based on reporting AP, AFP, and dpa
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
