The Seoul government plans to attract multinational companies to the inter-Korean industrial complex being built in the North Korean border city of Gaesong, a few kilometers from the South-North border.

Officials said South Korea will seek to allow participation by multinational firms in the second and third stages of the Gaesong construction project.

The facility in Gaesong is currently operating within a 99,000 square-meter pilot complex. The two Koreas plan to develop a total 3.3 million square meters of land area in the next stage, and 66 million for the entire project.

Currently, 15 South Korean garment and other labor-intensive businesses are operating in the Gaesong industrial park, benefiting from North Korea's cheap and skilled workforce. Hundreds more are expected to follow suit in the next few years.