The two Koreas are working side by side at the Gaesong Industrial Complex management committee, following the North's establishment of a five-member cooperative squad there on Wednesday.

In a regular news briefing Friday, Vice Unification Minister Lee Bong-jo said the North Korean staff are discussing with South Korean counterparts the process of cooperative management of the joint industrial park in North Korea's border city of Gaesong.

Lee said Seoul had initially asked the North to send its staff, following the two sides agreement to form a standing joint consultative body in line with the Gaesong project's recent strides in advancement.