Saturday, September 14, 2013

  • Kaesŏng Industrial Region (KIR) is a special administrative industrial region of North Korea (DPRK). 
  • It was formed in 2002.
  • Its most notable feature is the Kaesŏng Industrial Park, operated as a collaborative economic development with South Korea (ROK).

 


  • The park is located ten kilometres (six miles) north of the Korean Demilitarized Zone, an hour's drive from Seoul, with direct road and rail access to South Korea. 
  • The park allows South Korean companies to employ cheap labour that is educated, skilled, and fluent in Korean, whilst providing North Korea with an important source of foreign currency.



  • As of April 2013, 123 South Korean companies were employing approximately 53,000 DPRK workers and 800 ROK staff. Their wages, totalling some $90 million each year, had been paid directly to the North Korean government.



    • At times of tension between North and South Korea, southern access to the Industrial Park has been restricted.
    • On 3 April 2013, during the 2013 Korean crisis, North Korea blocked access to the region to all South Korean citizens. 
    • On 8 April 2013, the North Korean government removed all 53,000 North Korean workers from the Kaesong industrial park, which effectively shut down all activities.
    • On 15 August 2013, both countries agreed that the industrial park should be reopened.

IAS OUR DREAM COMPLETED SEVEN YEARs ON AUGUST 13,2016

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