The Unification Ministry says that the number of North Koreans working at the Gaesong Industrial Complex has surpassed 15-thousand.

The ministry said Friday that the figure topped ten-thousand last November, a significant increase from two-hundred-55 in December 2004 when the inter-Korean complex launched operation.

The number of new firms operating at the complex has also increased to 23 this year from 19 last year. In addition, many existing companies have expanded their facilities, resulting in a rapid increase of North Korean workers.

The average monthly production volume per North Korean worker also rose to about 12-hundred-30 dollars last month from 926 dollars in January last year.