S. Korea expresses regret over N. Korea's border restrictions

By Shim Sun-ah
SEOUL, Dec. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea on Monday expressed regret over North
Korea's actions to restrict border crossings by South Koreans and again urged
Pyongyang to retract them.

The North earlier barred 56 South Koreans from crossing the border into the North
Korean border city of Kaesong where they work, saying they are no longer allowed
to enter under its changed immigration rules.
Pyongyang has threatened to strictly control overland traffic across the heavily
armed border by South Koreans, beginning Monday, in its initial steps to
retaliate against Seoul for its "confrontational" policy toward the North.
"The traffic ban taken by the North today is very regrettable since it would
cripple production activities by South Korean firms (in Kaesong) and undermine
market confidence," Kim Ho-nyoun, spokesman for the Seoul's Unification Ministry
in charge of North Korea affairs, said in a statement.
"As it goes against inter-Korean agreements, including those related to staying
in Kaesong and Mount Geumgang, the measure will never be justified and must be
retracted," the spokesman said.
sshim@yna.co.kr
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