ROK, DPRK discussing details on Kaesong complex

SEOUL - The Republic of Korea and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea were holding meetings of two subcommittees for the Kaesong industrial complex to discuss additional details on passage and communications, Seoul's Unification Ministry said Friday.

"The subcommittee for travel and stay along with the subcommittee in charge of passage, communications and customs are now holding meetings," Unification Ministry spokesman Kim Hyung- seok told a press briefing.

Seoul and Pyongyang agreed on Wednesday to fully reopen the joint factory park in the DPRK's border town of Kaesong next Monday after agreeing on several institutional tools, but some details had yet to be determined.

The subcommittee for travel and stay was discussing the right of the ROK's personnel to receive legal counsel when South Koreans get involved in a criminal case and questioned by the DPRK authorities.

The subcommittee in charge of passage, communications and customs was talking about additional details on the introduction of an electronic passage system and mobile phones and the Internet.

The two sides agreed on Wednesday to adopt an electronic system to control passage of South Korean personnel to and from Kaesong through the radio frequency identification technology. They also agreed to continue to discuss details on the introduction of mobile phones and the Internet in the factory park.

Based on the results of the meetings, Seoul and Pyongyang will conclude on the subjects next Monday at the third meeting of the joint committee, which will be in charge of running the Kaesong industrial zone.

The joint committee will give Seoul an equal say on the management of the factory park, which had been run solely by the DPRK in the past.