The U.S. government has expressed regret over North Korea’s announcement that it will temporarily suspend operations of the inter-Korean Gaeseong Industrial Complex.

State Department Acting Deputy Spokesperson Patrick Ventrell told reporters that closing the industrial park would be regrettable, given that more than 50-thousand North Korean people are employed there.

Ventrell said the U.S. remains in close consultation with South Korea on the matter.

Ventrell added that Washington will continue to work with China and Russia to get North Korea to abide by its obligations, after being asked to comment on Chinese President Xi Jinping’s statement that "no one should be allowed to throw the region or even the whole world into chaos for selfish gain."