SOUTH KOREA'S FOREIGN MINISTRY WILL ON MONDAY TAKE THE U.S. AMBASSADOR AND DOZENS OF OTHER DIPLOMATS ON AN UNPRECEDENTED TRIP TO AN INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX IN NORTH KOREA THAT IS AT THE CENTRE OF WAR OF WORDS BETWEEN SEOUL AND WASHINGTON, REUTERS REPORTED. SOUTH KOREA SAID THE TRIP IS DESIGNED TO GIVE U.S. AMBASSADOR TO SOUTH KOREA, ALEXANDER VERSHBOW, AND OTHER DIPLOMATS A FIRST-HAND VIEW OF THE INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX THAT SEOUL SEES AS A MODEL OF ECONOMIC INTEGRATION BETWEEN THE TWO KOREAS. THE TOP U.S. OFFICIAL FOR HUMAN RIGHTS IN NORTH KOREA HAS SAID THE PARK, WHERE SOUTH KOREAN COMPANIES TAKE ADVANTAGE OF CHEAP NORTH KOREAN LABOUR AND LAND, MAY BE COUNTERPRODUCTIVE AND END UP PROVIDING FUNDS THAT PROP UP PYONGYANG'S LEADERS. FOREIGN MINISTER BAN KI-MOON WILL JOIN THE GROUP AND HE HAS NOT BEEN TO NORTH KOREA SINCE TAKING OFFICE. NEITHER HAS VERSHBOW SINCE BECOMING THE U.S. ENVOY TO THE COUNTRY. ABOUT 80 DIPLOMATS WILL VISIT THE KAESONG INDUSTRIAL PARK, INCLUDING THE RUSSIAN AND CHINESE AMBASSADORS, SOUTH KOREA'S FOREIGN MINISTRY SAID. "WE HOPE THIS TRIP WILL CONTRIBUTE TO ENHANCING AND EXPANDING INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY'S UNDERSTANDING OF THE KAESONG INDUSTRIAL PARK," SOUTH KOREA'S FOREIGN MINISTRY SAID IN A STATEMENT. THE PARK IS LOCATED JUST A FEW HUNDRED METRES (YARDS) NORTH OF THE DEMILITARISED ZONE THAT DIVIDES THE PENINSULA.
