China's foreign ministry has kept mum on South Korea's decision to halt operations of its joint industrial park with North Korea, a move by Seoul to punish Pyongyang for its latest rocket launch and nuclear test.

The Chinese ministry has yet to respond to a question sent by Yonhap News Agency via a fax about China's stance over the South Korean decision as of Thursday morning.

At the same time, U.N. Security Council members remain divided over how to punish North Korea for its fourth nuclear test on Jan.

6, with China, one of five veto-wielding council members, reluctant to put crippling sanctions on North Korea.

China's state-run media took note of the Wednesday decision by South Korea to suspend operations at the Gaesong Industrial Complex in the North Korean border city of Gaesong.

The official Xinhua News Agency described South Korea's move as a "punitive" measure against North Korea's launch of a long-range rocket.

The website of the state-run Global Times newspaper reported that shutting down the Gaesong complex is aimed at imposing a strong economic sanction on North Korea.

The Gaesong complex, which opened in 2004, has served as a major revenue source for the cash-strapped North Korea, while South Korea has benefited from cheap but skilled North Korean labor. The South Korean firms operating at the complex annually provide about US$100 million in total income to North Korean workers. (Yonhap)