S. Korea to build nursery at joint industrial park in North

SEOUL, Sept. 22 (Yonhap) -- South Korea plans to build a nursery at a joint
industrial park on North Korean soil, officials said Tuesday, a project that has
long been sought after to help the tens of thousands of North Korean women who
work there.

The Koreas have been unanimous on the need to build a daycare center for female
employees at the joint park in Kaesong, just north of the border, but the
construction was put off due to deteriorating political relations.
The South Korean government "is going to take to the construction for completion
by the end of this year," Unification Ministry spokesman Chun Hae-sung said. The
two Koreas will sign an agreement on the project on Wednesday, he added.
The joint park hosts 114 South Korean firms operating with about 40,000 North
Korean employees. Female workers makes up for 85 percent, and they are mostly in
their 20s and 30s, according to ministry data.
The nursery will accommodate up to 200 children, Chun said.
"The government came to pursue the nursery construction, considering it has a
humanitarian aspect by protecting infants, children and mothers and will be also
a boon to productivity," he added.
Earlier this month, North Korea withdrew its demand for hefty wage hikes and
agreed to a five-percent increase for its workers at the Kaesong park. The wage
deal was the latest sign of joint ventures returning to normal with Pyongyang's
conciliatory moves.
hkim@yna.co.kr
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