The government has deferred making a decision until next week on a request to visit North Korea by South Korean businesspeople that had production bases at the now shutdown Gaesong Industrial Complex. 

A Unification Ministry official said Tuesday that the ministry needs time to go over the request which was submitted last week. The businesspeople had sought to make the visit on Wednesday. 

The government is expected to discuss the matter later this week during a meeting of the South Korea-U.S. working group on North Korea which will be held via video conference. 

During a news briefing earlier on Monday, Unification Ministry Spokesman Baik Tae-hyun said the ministry recognizes a need for such a visit to be made to protect the intellectual properties of the South Korean businesspeople. He was quick to add, however, that the industrial park is a unique case. 

Since Seoul closed down the cross-border venture in February 2016 following a nuclear test by the North, the business owners have made a total of seven requests to visit the North but have not had a chance to return to their factories in the border city.