The government is considering utilizing North Korean men and middle-aged women to address labor shortages at the Gaeseong Industrial Complex.

The Unification Ministry spokesman Kim Ho-nyoun said Thursday that South Korean companies operating in the inter-Korean complex prefer young female workers, but the number of such people is limited in the North Korean city.

Kim said that under the circumstances, North Korean men and middle-aged women, once properly trained, could be a great source of labor.

About 80 companies at the industrial complex currently employ some 32-thousand North Korean workers. But 20-thousand additional workers are expected to be needed as 52 more factories are scheduled to begin operations by the year’s end.