The government has lifted the ceiling on the number of South Korean workers who can stay at the Gaeseong Industrial Complex in North Korea.

The Unification Ministry said that the cap will be removed in response to complaints from South Korean companies operating at Gaeseong that the reduced number of staffers has complicated production and quality management.

The number of South Korean workers who can stay at the inter-Korean joint venture on workdays has been halved from one-thousand to some 550 since Seoul took punitive measures against North Korea on May 24th for sinking the “Cheonan” naval vessel in March.

But the ministry added that despite the removal of the cap, the other penalties that were put in place in May remain in effect, including the ban on new or additional investments in Gaeseong.