김정은의 '대가 없는' 개성공단 재개 언급... 의미와 가능성은
In his new year address, Kim Jong-un also mentioned he would like to re-open Gaeseong Industrial Complex and resume tours to Geumgangsan Mountain.
But standing in the way are the sanctions imposed on the regime.
For details let's turn to our Kan Hyeong-woo.
"Considering the difficulties that South Korean businesses have gone through at the Gaeseong Industrial Complex, and considering the wishes of our South Korean compatriots to visit this famed mountain of our people, we are willing, with no preconditions or price, to reopen the Gaeseong Industrial Complex and to resume tours to Mt. Geumgangsan."
In his New Year's address, the North Korean leader called for the two Koreas to stick together... and not allow any external forces, including sanctions and pressure, to hinder their relations.
But experts say it would be extremely difficult for North Korea to restart the Gaeseong Industrial Complex or the Mt. Geumgangsan tours without violating international sanctions.
"First of all, it's difficult to pay the workers. Second is that there's no way for anybody to sell the products made in North Korea now. So that's the problem with the Gaeseong Industrial Complex."
As for the Mt. Geumgangsan tours,... the current UN sanctions ban any financial transactions with North Korea, so experts say it would be almost impossible for Kim Jong-un to restart the program by himself.
Regardless of the sanctions situation, the North Korean leader's stated desire to improve his regime's economy seems to line up with observations made by Seoul's Unification Ministry.
On Friday, data from the ministry showed that the biggest portion of Kim Jong-un's public appearances last year were related to the ecomony at 41-point-8 percent,... a 14-point-1 percentage point increase from 2017.
Kan Hyeong-woo, Arirang News
