Inter-Korean trade tumbled in the first half of the year from the same period last year due in part to the stalled operations at the Gaeseong Industrial Complex.

Statistics Korea says cross-border trade from January to June plunged 40 percent year-on-year to 559 million dollars. 

It's the first time since 2006 that inter-Korean trade volume has posted in the 500 million dollar range in the first half.

South Korean exports to the North fell over 48 percent year-on-year to 245 million dollars due to the shutdown in April of the Gaeseong complex. Imports from the North also fell 38 percent to about 314 million dollars. 

Inter-Korean trade volume dropped 26 percent from 880 million dollars in the first half 2008 to 652 million in the same period of 2009 following the shooting death of a South Korean tourist at the North's Mount Geumgang resort in July 2008.

The North's sinking of the South Korean warship, Cheonan, in March 2010 also factored into a 16 percent drop in trade from 2010 to 2011.