A bipartisan group of eight lawmakers drawn from the National Assembly’s Special Committee on Inter-Korean Relations Development and Foreign Affairs, Trade and Unification Committee headed for the Kaesong Industrial Complex early on Friday morning.
The group, which includes Kim Chung Hwan (Grand National Party), the head of the National Assembly Foreign Affairs, Trade and Unification Committee, Park Joo Sun (Democratic Unity Party), who heads the Special Committee on Inter-Korean Relations Development, and legislative members Nam Kyung PIl (GNP), Gu Sang Chan (GNP), Kim Dong Chul (DUP), Kim Sung Soo (GNP), Park Sunsook (DUP) and Lee Jung Hyun (GNP), arrived at the Inter-Korean Immigration Office at Dorasan near Paju, Gyeonggi Provice at around 8AM.
They are being accompanied on the trip by three Ministry of Unification officials and a further four National Assembly assistants and technical experts.
Kim Chung Hwan, speaking to the press shortly before heading over to the North Korean side of the inter-Korean border, commented, “The plan is to check out the facilities for enterprises operating in the Kaesong Industrial Complex and the working conditions of North Korea workers,” adding also, “I hope this visit to North Korea will offer an opportunity for the development of inter-Korean relations and the restarting of dialogue.”
In a statement submitted in advance, Park Joo Sun added, “It is unlikely that this visit alone will be able to thaw out frozen inter-Korean relations, but just as if you travel a narrow lane regularly it turns into a wider road, if we open the road to the Kaesong Industrial Complex wide enough then it will open a new era of cooperative inter-Koreanization and open up the spring road to peace.”
The group was expected to arrive in the Kaesong Industrial Complex at around 9:30AM, whereupon they were due to receive a briefing from local staff. There will follow visits to both facilities in the Complex and the offices of operator Hyundai Asan, and further visits to four enterprises (Artline, BK, Samduk Tongsang and SNG) in the afternoon.
The group is expected to return to South Korea at approximately 3PM, whereupon it will report the results of the visit to Minister of Unification Ryu Woo Ik over dinner.
