North lays out plans for Gaeseong complex, new city

North Korea yesterday presented a blueprint of the Gaeseong industrial complex.
Lee Jong-hyeok, deputy chair of the North’s Korea Asia-Pacific Peace Committee, said Pyeongyang will build a new satellite city to support the Gaeseong industrial complex, which was agreed to in a recent inter-Korean agreement that paved the way for easier cross-border commerce. Representatives of South Korean companies involved in the project, such as Hyundai Asan Corp. and Korea Land Corp., would be able to travel to Gaeseong to work on the complex.
The satellite city will house more than 200,000 residents in a 2,000-hectare (5,000-acre) area, Mr. Lee said.
“The Gaeseong city area will be designated a tourist zone. Some villages located between the complex and the new satellite city will have to be moved, but the number is small,” said Mr. Lee.
He further said a power plant will be built near the complex by Hyundai Asan. Water for industrial use at the complex will be drawn from either the Imjin River, which is 20 kilometers (12 miles) south of Gaeseong, or the Yeseong River, which is 20 kilometers north of the city.
“The North wants to break ground on the complex as soon as possible,” Mr. Lee said. “But Hyundai Asan says the construction will start next month, and Korea Land says it may take until after September. I want a coherent opinion from the South Korean government.”
Mr. Lee said the North plans to create an organization to oversee the development of the complex. The organization would be composed of economic development officials from the National Planning Commission and the North’s parliament.

by Jung Chang-hyun