South Korea accepts North's proposal to reopen factories, hold talks

SEOUL, Aug. 8 (UPI) -- South Korean officials said Thursday that they have accepted North Korea's proposal to reopen the Kaesong Industrial Park and hold a seventh round of talks.

South Korean officials said they faxed a message to the North Thursday accepting the proposal to reopen the factory zone Aug. 14, Yonhap News Agency reported.

"North Korea in general appears to take a more forward-looking stance now," a South Korean official told Yonhap while explaining the South's quick acceptance of the plan.

The joint industrial park has been closed since early April, after North Korea withdrew its 53,000 workers amid tensions between the two countries.

The two countries held six rounds of negotiations, and the North's proposal came after a week of silence on South Korea's demand that the two countries hold a final negotiation.