Staff in Kaesong zone in North to be Withdrawn by Seoul After North's Rejection

After North Korea rejected offer of formal talks to restart operations at the Kaesong industrial zone, Seoul has decided to withdraw all 175 of its citizens, according to an official with the government.

North Korea blocked access to the Kaesong zone earlier this month, and then withdrew its workers from the zone, while South Korean company owners stayed behind to protect their investments.

Unification Minister Ryoo Kihl-jae said, ''because our nationals remaining in the Kaesong industrial zone are experiencing greater difficulties due to the North's unjust actions, the government has come to the unavoidaable decision to bring back all remaining personnel in order to protect their safety.''

He added, ''North Korea must guarantee the safe return of our personnel and fully protect the assets of the companies with investment in Kaesong.''

As tensions remain high in the region, the future of the last and only major symbol of cooperation between the Koreans is in question.

Earlier, the National Defence Commission of Pyongyang had complained that the US-South Korean military drills, coupled with the sharing of anti-North Korea leaflets at the border were proofs of its insincerity towards the demand for working-level talks.