Floor Leader Ahn Sang-soo of the ruling Grand National Party (GNP) has urged North Korea to withdraw its demands regarding operations at the inter-Korean Gaeseong Industrial Complex.

The GNP floor leader told the party's leadership meeting on Friday that Pyongyang seems to be making unreasonable demands to force South Korean companies out of the complex in the North.

Ahn said many in the South are speculating that the North is demanding a greater amount of money in order to fund its nuclear weapons program.

He added that Pyongyang should immediately release a South Korean Gaeseong worker it detained at the end of March.

GNP lawmaker Hwang Jin-ha said North Korea should make "reasonable" demands if it wants to settle issues through negotiation.

During an inter-Korean meeting Thursday, the North demanded wage increases for employees working at the business park, as well as early payment of land-use fees.

Currently, South Korean firms operating at Gaeseong pay monthly wages of about 75 U.S. dollars to each North Korean worker they employ. The North is asking that the rate be raised to 300 dollars a month, with guaranteed raises on an annual basis.

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