The Ministry of Unification said Wednesday South Korean companies operating plants at the Kaesong Industrial Complex in North Korea have paid a total of six million in wages to North Korean workers since the opening of the industrial park in December 2004.

The wages were paid in U.S. dollars to the North Korean authorities overseeing the industrial district. About 70 percent of the money was paid to North Korean workers, while the authorities took the remaining 30 percent in the name of funds for free education and medical services, according to the ministry.

The ministry said most of the money is being used as living expenses for North Korean workers and their families, and that there is little chance the money was used for other purposes.

As of the end of June, about seven thousand-800 North Korean workers were working at the Kaesong Industrial Complex.