South and North Korea have agreed to allow South Korean businessmen having factories in Gaeseong Industrial Complex to inspect and maintain the equipment in the complex.

The two sides reached the agreement early Sunday morning after 16 hours of talk in the truce village of Panmunjeon.

They also agreed that the businessmen are allowed to retrieve finished products and materials from their factories. The North Korean delegation promised to guarantee the safety of the South Korean workers.


The two sides will meet again next Wednesday at Gaeseong Industrial Park to discuss more detailed measures for the normalization of the closed factory park and prevention of a similar incident.

In the opening address of the talk, the South Korean delegation called on North Korea to admit responsibility for the damages caused by the shutdown of the complex. The delegates also demanded that North Korea ensure the prevention of a similar incident.

South Korean officials put priority on retrieving the finished products and materials from the complex, while the North stressed the need to inspect the facilities and equipment in the face of monsoon season. The North also emphasized that priority should be to normalize the industrial complex by putting factories back to operation.

The inter-Korean joint venture was shut down in April amid rising tensions between the South and North.

Before the closure, around 120 South Korean businesses had factories in the inter-Korean joint commercial area. For the past three months, North Korea has prevented South Korean business officials from entering the complex and operation of all factories have been halted.

The Seoul government suggested the working-level talks on Thursday, a day after Pyeongyang said South Korean company workers could visit the complex to inspect and maintain equipment.