The Unification Ministry has dismissed a U.S. special envoy's claim of poor working conditions and low pay for North Korean workers in an inter-Korean industrial complex.

The ministry's chief of unification policy and public relations Lee Kwan-se said Friday that Jay Lefkowitz's comments could damage the reputation of South Korean firms operating in the complex.

Lefkowitz on Thursday said North Koreans workers at the complex endure harsh conditions for pay of under two dollars a day, and urged a third-party investigation and referral of the issue to the United Nations.

Lee said the average monthly salary at the complex – 57 and a half dollars – is much higher than wages in other parts of North Korea and more than those of workers in other socialist Asian countries.