29/07/2013 10:20
South Korea offers 'final' Kaesong talks
South Korea has proposed "final talks" on restarting operations at the joint Kaesong industrial zone, amid deadlock with North Korea, BBC reported.
The zone has been closed since April, when North Korea withdrew its workers.
The two sides have held six rounds of talks on a restart, but are deadlocked on Seoul's insistence that Pyongyang agree not to unilaterally close the complex again.
On Sunday Seoul's unification minister said a written guarantee was needed.
"We want a clear answer from the North on preventing a recurrence," Ryoo Kihl-jae said.
"Otherwise, we will be left with no choice but to make a grave decision to prevent even bigger damages on our companies in the future."
North Korea blames the shut-down on South Korean provocations, including military exercises.
The proposal for "final talks" was formally communicated to North Korea on Monday via the communication line at the truce village of Panmunjom, South Korean media reported.
It did not include a date or time for the mooted talks, Yonhap news agency reported citing the Unification Ministry.