Unification Minister Hyun In-taek says the government will take proper measures against North Korea's blockade of the inter-Korean border.

Hundreds of South Koreans are stranded in the Gaesong Industrial Complex after Pyongyang closed its border.

Hyun held a meeting Sunday with about 20 chiefs of South Korean companies operating in the complex on the blockade.

The minister said the industrial park will lose its original meaning unless free inter-Korean passage is secured.

He also expressed deep regret over the situation, noting that Pyongyang has repeatedly blocked passage without a clear explanation.

Hyund also stressed that the North’s unilateral and unfair move violates inter-Korean agreements as well as its own laws and regulations.

The minister also said the complex should be preserved and developed without influence from political, military and security conditions on the Korean Peninsula, adding that Seoul does not want the project to be damaged.