Fading 'Kaesong Industrial Complex Mask'... North Korea's Silence and U.S. Brake

North Korea's Korean Red Cross volunteers are conducting hygiene promotion activities targeting local residents in cooperation with medical staff to respond to the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), the external propaganda media "Chosun Today" reported on the 4th. In photos released on the media's website, volunteers wearing red Red Cross vests are being taught handwashing methods by medical personnel.

It has been a week since calls to resolve the mask shortage caused by the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) through the reopening of the Kaesong Industrial Complex grew louder, but North Korea has remained unresponsive, and even the United States has mentioned the possibility of violating sanctions against North Korea, causing the prospects to gradually sink below the surface.

On the 13th (local time), the U.S. State Department stated regarding the proposal to reopen the Kaesong Industrial Complex and produce masks, "All UN member states must implement the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions," according to a report by Voice of America (VOA) on the 14th. Since the Kaesong Industrial Complex was shut down in 2016, the U.S. has consistently cited UN sanctions and maintained a policy against reopening whenever proposals have intermittently surfaced.

In particular, as denuclearization talks with North Korea stalled last year, the U.S. repeatedly expressed its willingness to show "flexibility," but it has steadfastly upheld the principle that "sanctions implementation comes first" specifically concerning the Kaesong Industrial Complex.

A U.S. State Department official, when asked to comment on the proposal to use the Kaesong Industrial Complex as a turning point in inter-Korean relations, emphasized U.S.-South Korea cooperation in response. He said, "The United States and our ally South Korea are closely coordinating efforts related to North Korea and are committed to coordinating a unified response toward North Korea."

North Korea, which has recently shown immediate reactions to domestic issues through its external propaganda media, has remained completely silent regarding the Kaesong Industrial Complex. Reopening the complex would require detailed consultations with North Korea, including allowing South Korean personnel to visit for facility inspections.

Since late January, when the COVID-19 outbreak escalated in Wuhan, China, North Korea declared a national emergency quarantine system and has been fully controlling air, sea, and land routes. On January 30, after confirmed COVID-19 cases occurred consecutively in South Korea, even the Kaesong Inter-Korean Joint Liaison Office was closed.

Under these circumstances, reopening the Kaesong Industrial Complex would mean North Korea dismantling its own quarantine barrier. This is why evaluations suggest that North Korea is unlikely to respond positively to mask production at the Kaesong Industrial Complex.

Meanwhile, Kim Jin-hyang, chairman of the Kaesong Industrial District Support Foundation, argued on the YouTube channel "Kim Jin-hyang TV" on the 6th that "If the garment companies in the Kaesong Industrial Complex operate, they can meet not only domestic (mask) demand but also global demand," advocating for the reopening of the Kaesong Industrial Complex.

Since then, related claims have followed not only from civic groups but also from some political circles. On the 12th, former floor leader Woo Won-shik of the Democratic Party of Korea and floor leader Yoon So-ha of the Justice Party proposed at a National Assembly press conference, "Let's immediately open channels with North Korea and operate the Kaesong Industrial Complex."

Civic groups such as the Safe Society Citizens' Coalition also urged the government on the same day to "reopen the Kaesong Industrial Complex to produce masks, which are in short supply due to the spread of COVID-19."

However, government authorities are cautious. On the 11th, Unification Ministry spokesperson Yeo Sang-gi said, "The government’s position that the Kaesong Industrial Complex should be reopened remains unchanged," but added, "We need to review practical issues."

Spokesperson Yeo said, "To reopen the Kaesong Industrial Complex, which has been suspended for some time, a period for facility inspection is necessary," and added, "We also need to consider the issue of bringing in necessary raw materials such as filters and nonwoven fabric required for mask production into Kaesong."

He further added, "If the Kaesong Industrial Complex is reopened under the current inter-Korean quarantine situation, it would be burdensome because South and North Korean personnel would have to meet indoors and have close contact."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.