The joint-Korean industrial park shut down last week. To reopen it, Pyongyang wants Seoul to end "military cooperation with the United States" as well as control over funds from the international community. "We urge the North again . . . to come forward for dialogue instead of making such unfair demands," South Korea said.

Seoul (AsiaNews/Agencies) - South Korea this morning dismissed as "completely incomprehensible and unfair" the list of demands North Korea presented yesterdays as preconditions to revive suspended operations at a jointly run industrial park in Kaesong, a example of coexistence on the peninsula.

"The North's demand, as you probably know, is completely incomprehensible and unfair," said today Kim Hyung-Seok, spokesman for Seoul's Unification Ministry, which handles inter-Korean affairs.

"We urge the North again . . . to come forward for dialogue instead of making such unfair demands," Kim told reporters.

On Sunday, in a statement published by the regime's official news agency KCNA, North Korea's National Defence Commission said that re-starting the complex would require the South to cease all "hostile acts and military provocations," most notably preparations for a joint South Korea-US military drill scheduled for August.

Kim Jong-un and his government also demanded "total" control over funds provided by the international community to the complex and a stop to activists and defectors who use balloons to send anti-Pyongyang leaflets across the border.

However, the central point is military, i.e. the US-South Korean alliance, which got a boost today when South Korean President Park Geun-hye arrived in United States on an official visit. For Seoul, it remains an important guarantee for its survival.

Signed in 1953, after the armistice with the North, the military agreement provides for "full cooperation" between the two countries. Some 60,000 US troops are deployed in South Korea.

Although neither Korea has officially declared the complex closed, the Kaesong industrial complex, which is located in North Korean territory, ended its operations last Friday. Seoul continues however to supply a "minimum" amount of electricity to the complex.

Seoul withdrew all its nationals last week. A final group of seven returned Friday night after the South had sent cars loaded with US$ 13 million in cash to cover unpaid wages and taxes.

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• north
• korea
• kaesong
• industrial
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• conflict