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NK Lays Out Immigration Rules on Gaeseong Complex

2003-12-19

North Korea's parliament on Dec. 11 adopted three laws governing human and goods flows in and out of its Gaeseong Industrial Complex, an ambitious inter-Korean business venture situated in the North Korean city 70 kilometers north of Seoul.

The Presidium of the North's Supreme People's Assembly adopted regulations covering immigration, customs and the operation of an administrative office, Pyongyang's state-run [North] Korean Central News Agency reported on Wednesday (Dec. 17).

The new laws states that all South Koreans and foreigners entering the Gaeseong Industrial Complex from the South must declare their stay to the local authorities within 48 hours of arrival.

Exceptions will be made for tourists, members of international organizations residing in the South, and those returning within seven days.

Short-term stays can be made for up to 90 days, and foreigners can apply for extension of their stay permits three days before expiration.

For long-term stays of over a year, residence permits must be obtained.

On customs, materials to be used or processed at the Gaeseong Industrial Complex will be exempt from taxes, but finished goods to be sold in North Korea will be levied import duties.

Items that may not be imported or exported include weapons, two-way radios, poisonous, radiological or addictive materials, binoculars with magnifying powers of over 10, and cameras with fixed lenses in excess of 160 millimeters.

Books and pictures deemed hazardous to North Korean customs and traditions will not be allowed into North Korea.

There is no limit on the amount of foreign currency that can be taken in or out of North Korea and no need to declare it either, but jewelry must be registered beforehand.

The governing body for the industrial complex will work to support business activities, lure investment and issue necessary papers for South Korean and foreign businesspeople. It will be funded primarily by commissions earned, and companies will also contribute sums of 0.5 percent of total wages paid per month.

In related news, the two Koreas started three working-level economic meetings in Pyongyang aimed at providing institutional backup to inter-Korean economic cooperation which has grown slowly but steadily since 2000.

Seoul officials expected the meetings, which deal with debt clearance, inter-Korean business regulations and certification or origin of goods produced in North Korea, to be conducted in a businesslike manner.

The meeting will last for four days. How to ensure security of South Koreans in Gaeseong Industrial Complex while ensuring convenient travel using inter-Korean highways is also on the agenda.

Source : www.korea.net