S. Korea likely to enjoy 5 times more economic profit than N.K. if Kaesong complex resumes: report

SEOUL, Sept. 11 (Yonhap) -- South Korea is likely to gain an economic profit of 22 trillion won (US$15.9 billion) should the now-shuttered inter-Korean industrial complex in North Korea's border city of Kaesong reopen, according to a recent report Sunday.

The resumption of the Kaesong industrial complex will bring an economic profit of 4.58 trillion won over a period of five years for the North, while South Korea will gain 22.26 trillion won, researchers estimated in a report released by the Institute for National Security Strategy.

Although the estimated profit for Pyongyang is significantly less than that of the South, the "intangible benefit," such as the transfer of technology and expertise from Seoul, will be considerable, the report said.

The Kaesong complex, once hailed as a symbol of inter-Korean reconciliation, was suspended in February 2016 amid tensions over the North's nuclear and missile provocations.

Efforts to reopen the factory complex have since made little progress amid a protracted stalemate in Pyongyang's denuclearization talks with Washington.

julesyi@yna.co.kr
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