South Korea shuts down Kaesong industrial park

South Korea is completely shutting down the Kaesong Industrial Complex, the Unification Minister said on Wednesday, to punish North Korea for the launch of a long-range ballistic missile Sunday morning.
Unification Minister Hong Yong-pyo announced the plan to totally shut the complex and condemned the North for developing nuclear weapons and missiles despite the disapproval of the rest of the world.
“Continuing the current situation does not mean a status quo but can lead to a catastrophic disaster as the North’s nuclear capabilities get enhanced,” the minister said at a press conference Wednesday afternoon, adding that South Korea’s support of the Kaesong Industrial Complex was misused for the development of nuclear weapons and long-range missiles.
“At a time when international society is pushing for sanctions against the North’s nuclear test and long-range missile launch, which violated UN Security Council resolutions on North Korea, we believed there was the necessity for us to take the lead,” Hong said.

[kim.sohee0905@joongang.co.kr