South and North Korea will carry out a joint inspection of industrial zones in China and Vietnam in mid-December to look for ways to better develop their own factory enclave in Gaeseong, a high-ranking Seoul official said.

The joint survey is anticipated to serve as an opportunity to resume stalled dialogue between the Koreas at a time when the North has repeatedly accused the South of lacking the will to improve bilateral relations.

"It is necessary to look into international market rules and procedures in order to enhance the competitiveness of the Gaeseong industrial complex," the senior official said.

"We have conferred with the North on the joint trip scheduled for mid-December and we are thinking China and Vietnam."



The South had proposed during working-level talks in June to jointly survey overseas industrial parks, starting with China and Vietnam, and later in Central Asia, the United States and South America.

The North recently agreed to the trip, confirming its conciliatory policy towards the South ahead of one-on-one talks with the United States early next month.

"The joint overseas survey could help us proceed with other issues regarding the Gaeseong industrial park such as guaranteeing South Koreans` free border passage, telecommunication and customs clearance, building roads and dormitories for North Korean employees," the government official said.

South and North Korea will send a group of 10 officials each on the 10-day trip next month.

The South Korean team will be comprised of officials from the ministries of unification and knowledge economy, plus the Korea Land and Housing Corporation and the committee overseeing the industrial park in Gaeseong.

"They will observe regulations, incentives for investors, corporate support services, transit and customs systems of successful industrial zones in China and Vietnam," Unification Ministry spokesman Chun Hae-sung said yesterday.

"The government expects the joint inspection to contribute towards building an inter-Korean consensus on stable development of the Gaeseong enclave and help raise its international competitiveness."

(sophie@heraldm.com)



By Kim So-hyun