A scholar has urged the South Korean government to provide small- and medium-sized companies making investments in North Korea's inland areas with support similar to that given to businesses operating at the inter-Korean joint industrial complex in Gaesong.

Lim Eul-chul, a professor at the Institute for Far Eastern Studies at Kyungnam University, told a forum that South Korean companies' investment in inland North Korean regions was sluggish because of the differences in business environment between Gaesong and other areas.

He also called for the resumption of inter-Korean dialogue to improve transportation, telecommunications and customs procedures between the two Koreas.

Currently, South Korean companies at the Gaesong Industrial Complex receive tax benefits from their government in Seoul, and their investment is protected by an inter-Korean agreement.