SEOUL, April 27 (UPI) -- South Koreans working at an industrial complex in North Korea began returning home Saturday after Pyongyang rejected Seoul's attempt at dialogue, officials say.
Some 127 workers at the jointly run Kaesong industrial complex were expected to cross back into South Korea Saturday, while the approximately 50 remaining employees could return by Monday, Yonhap News Agency reported.
Seoul Friday ordered the workers to come home after North Korea turned down an offer to open talks aimed at resolving disputes over the complex and warned it could take "grave action."
South Korean Prime Minister Chung Hong-won told members of Parliament the government would make efforts for "normalization" of the Kaesong industrial park.
South Korean companies operating in Kaesong have asked the government for compensation for financial losses caused by the withdrawal and for permission to travel to the plant to protect raw materials there.
