South Korean companies that used to run factories and businesses at the Gaeseong Industrial Complex have welcomed the South Korean government’s decision to allow them to visit the closed industrial park in the North. 

An emergency committee for the Gaeseong companies said Friday that while they welcome the endorsement, it could have come earlier. They criticized the government for failing its duty to protect the public’s property rights. 

The committee emphasized the visit to Gaeseong should be arranged in a practical manner that will allow them to sufficiently look around the factories and facilities they left behind over three years ago and come up with effective measures to preserve them. 

It then requested close discussions with the government on details about the visit such as schedules and procedures. 

Earlier in the day, the presidential office’s National Security Council(NSC) approved a request made last month by the Gaeseong companies to return to the industrial park to check on the condition of their facilities and equipment. 

The South Korean government deferred eight previous similar requests given sensitivity to related issues such as sanctions on the North and inter-Korean relations.