從關閉的開城工業園區撤回韓國人員

The top South Korean official charged with handling North-South relations says the time has come for South Korean workers still at the shuttered Kaesong factory zone to return home.

Unification Minister Ryoo Kihl-jae said Friday that the government has made an "unavoidable decision" to bring about 180 South Korean workers home.

The decision came hours after North Korea rejected the South's proposal for formal negotiations to restart operations at the Kaesong complex.

Seoul gave Pyongyang 24 hours on Thursday to agree to talks, warning of a tough response if Pyongyang did not agree to the offer.

Hours after the deadline passed Friday, Pyongyang dismissed the offer and warned that it would be the first to take tough action if the South insists on worsening the situation at the border town.

South Korean President Park Geun-hye met with her security-related Cabinet ministers on Friday, regarding fate of the Kaesong complex.韓國處理與朝鮮關係的高級官員統一部長官柳吉在說，到了從關閉的開城工業園區撤回韓國人員的時候了。

柳吉在星期五說，韓國政府已經做出撤回大約180名韓國人員的“不可避免的決定”。

在做出這個決定的幾個小時之前，朝鮮拒絕了韓國提出的舉行正式談判以恢復開城工業園區運轉的建議。

首爾當局星期四向平壤提出舉行談判的24小時期限，首爾警告說如果平壤不同意舉行談判，韓國將採取嚴厲反應措施。

星期五在期限過了幾個小時之後，平壤拒絕了首爾的建議，並且警告說，如果首爾堅持在開城這個邊界城鎮惡化雙方關係，朝鮮將首先採取嚴厲行動。

韓國總統朴槿惠星期五召集了內閣中的安全事務有關部長開會，研究如何處理開城工業園區的問題。