S. Korea urges North to resume talks

SEOUL, Aug. 4 (UPI) -- South Korea on Sunday urged North Korea to accept its proposal on talks for reopening a joint industrial park.

"If North Korea truly considers the Kaesong Industrial Complex to be a touchstone of inter-Korean relations, it shouldn't stay silent but demonstrate its will through responsible words and actions," Kim Hyung-suk, a spokesman of Seoul's Ministry of Unification, said in a statement.

Kim's statement comes a weeks after the South proposed a seventh round of talks on reopening the complex, which is located in Kaesong, North Korea, Yonhap reported.

Kim said South Koreans are losing patience with the North, which pulled all of its 53,000 workers out of the complex amid heightened tension between the Koreas.

"Our people, who wish to see North Korea's sincerity, are reaching the limit of their patience," the spokesman said.

Previous rounds of discussions broke down after the South insisted on safeguards against another unilateral shutdown of the factory park.

Seoul said it could take "grave" measures if Pyongyang does not guarantee such safeguards.