Koreas ink deal on operations of Kaesong committee secretariat

South and North Korea sealed a deal covering the everyday operations of the secretariat of a management committee that runs an inter-Korean industrial complex in the communist country, the South's government said Wednesday. The Ministry of Unification said the attached agreement is a follow-up to the broader pact reached on Aug. 28 that formally created the joint committee. The committee that opened for business on Sept. 30 gives Seoul equal say in the running of the Kaesong Industrial Park in North Korea. Before Seoul and Pyongyang reached an understanding to reopen the inter-Korean factory park on Sept. 16, the North's General Bureau for Central Guidance to the Development of the Special Zone ran the complex. The complex, which is home to 123 South Korean factories, was shut down by the North in early April amid heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula. The latest agreement outlines operating hours, meetings, exchange of information, travel, communication and emergency protocol. Under the pact, every possible convenience in movement will be offered to personnel assigned to the secretariat located inside the Kaesong complex to make it possible for the officials to carry out their duties. The two sides also agreed to regularly exchange information and hold meetings that can allow the secretariat to act as an official liaison office between Seoul and Pyongyang. The South will, moreover, be permitted to set up three communications lines between the secretariat and Seoul. The communication lines can be increased if situations warrant such a move.