The Kaesŏng Industrial Region started operations in 2004 to attract investment from South Korea into the country. It is a special administrative industrial region of North Korea (DPRK). In February 2016 it was closed by the South Korean government and all employees were recalled by the South Korean government. It has remained closed although there has been occasional expressions of opening up again. Much currently depends on the political rather than economic landscape on the fate of the venture.
The park is located ten kilometres north of the Korean Demilitarized Zone. This is an hour’s drive from the Korea capital Seoul and has direct road and rail access to South Korea. The government intended for the Kaesŏng Industrial Region to provide low wage Korean speaking workforce.
Around 53,000 DPRK staff were employed at its height of activity.