Discussion from the Korea Times:
“Yes” Reasons:
-Prolonging the life of the Kim Jong-il regime at the expense of its people
-The North cheats its own workers by not giving them their full pay. There are no unions in Kaesong Industrial Park and workers are expected to work unpaid overtime regularly
“No” Reasons:
-Mini-Marshall Plan
-Workers there earn $58 per month and work under excellent conditions and are much better off than North Korean workers elsewhere.
Other factoids:
Kim Dong-Keun, president of the complex’s Industrial Management Committee said “The North Korean workers are very diligent with high manual skills. Their productivity level is on average 80 percent that of their South Korean counterparts.”
A manager at Hyundai claimed, “Workers’ income at the complex is about 5-10% that of South Korean workers, which is much more than North Koreans generally earn. And they work under better conditions, too”
