Technoglitch
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North Korea on Thursday ordered a military takeover of a factory park that was the last major symbol of cooperation with South Korea, saying Seoul's suspension of operations at the jointly-run facility was a "dangerous declaration of war".
Pyongyang said it was immediately deporting the hundreds of South Koreans who work at the complex just across the world's most heavily-armed border in the city of Kaesong, pulling out the tens of thousands of North Korean employees and freezing all South Korean assets. The North also said it was shutting down two crucial cross-border communication hotlines.
An immediate worry in Seoul was whether all South Korean workers would be allowed to leave; some analysts speculated that Pyongyang would hold onto some to get all the wages owed North Korean workers.
Some South Korean workers left Kaesong before the North's announcement, and a handful of others were seen leaving afterward, but South Korean officials didn't know what would happen to its nationals who had not departed by Pyongyang's 5.30pm (Seoul time) expulsion deadline; they also didn't how many remained at the factories. South Korea said it would ban reporters from the border crossing on Friday.
North Korea orders military takeover of inter-Korean factory - Times of India
Pyongyang said it was immediately deporting the hundreds of South Koreans who work at the complex just across the world's most heavily-armed border in the city of Kaesong, pulling out the tens of thousands of North Korean employees and freezing all South Korean assets. The North also said it was shutting down two crucial cross-border communication hotlines.
An immediate worry in Seoul was whether all South Korean workers would be allowed to leave; some analysts speculated that Pyongyang would hold onto some to get all the wages owed North Korean workers.
Some South Korean workers left Kaesong before the North's announcement, and a handful of others were seen leaving afterward, but South Korean officials didn't know what would happen to its nationals who had not departed by Pyongyang's 5.30pm (Seoul time) expulsion deadline; they also didn't how many remained at the factories. South Korea said it would ban reporters from the border crossing on Friday.
North Korea orders military takeover of inter-Korean factory - Times of India
