Seoul cuts power to factory park
North Korea had taken over complex
Paju, South Korea — South Korea has cut off power and water supplies to a factory park in North Korea, officials said Friday, a day after the North deported all South Korean workers there and ordered a military takeover of the complex that had been the last major symbol of cooperation between the rivals.
It is the latest in an escalating standoff over North Korea’s recent rocket launch that Seoul, Washington and their allies view as a banned test of missile technology. North Korea said its actions on the Kaesong complex were a response to Seoul’s earlier decision to suspend operations as punishment for the launch.
On Thursday night, the 280 South Korean workers who had been at the park crossed the border into South Korea, several hours after a deadline set by North Korea passed. Their departure quashed concerns that some might be held hostage and lowered the chances that the standoff might lead to violence or miscalculations.
But they weren’t allowed to bring back any finished products and equipment at their factories because North Korea announced that it will freeze all South Korean assets there.
North Korea also said it was closing an inter-Korean highway linking to Kaesong and shutting down two crossborder communication hotlines.
Tensions on the Korean Peninsula have risen since North Korea carried out a nuclear test last month, followed by the long-range rocket launch on Sunday that came after South Korea had warned of serious consequences.
South Korea on Thursday began work to suspend operations at the factory park, saying its decision was an effort to stop North Korea from using hard currency earned from the park to pay for its nuclear and missile programs.