S.Korean businessmen request visit to Kaesong Industrial Complex for facility check

SEOUL, March 6 (Xinhua) -- A group of South Korean businessmen, who operated factories in the jointly-run inter-Korean factory park before its shutdown, on Wednesday requested a state approval for their visit to the Kaesong Industrial Complex to check facilities left behind, according to local media reports.

The association of 179 domestic businessmen, which had factories left behind in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's (DPRK) border town of Kaesong, submitted an application form to the unification ministry for their visit to the Kaesong industrial zone on March 13 along with five lawmakers of the ruling and opposition parties.

It was the eighth attempt by the businessmen to visit Kaesong since the inter-Korean factory park was unilaterally shut down by South Korea in February 2016 over the DPRK's nuclear test.

Baik Tae-hyun, Seoul's unification ministry spokesman, told a press briefing that the government shared a view that the it would be possible for the businessmen to visit the factory park, not for resuming factories, but for checking their property under the current framework of sanctions.

It came as South Korean President Moon Jae-in said last week that his country would consult with the United States on ways to restart the Kaesong factory zone and the South Koreans' tour to the DPRK's Mount Kumgang resort.

Moon and top DPRK leader Kim Jong Un agreed during their third summit in Pyongyang last September to reopen the two major cooperation projects when conditions are met.

Kim said in his New Year's speech that he was willing to restart the two economic projects without any precondition.