Grand National Party chief Hong Joon-pyo told reporters after his trip to the Kaesong factory just across the border that he hopes to see more flexibility in the RoK's handling of the DPRK, RoK broadcaster YTN said. He said Seoul should allow ROK companies to have greater freedom in their business operations at Kaesong.

The Chosun Ilbo daily quoted Hong as saying that he did not meet with DPRK officials during his trip.

Kaesong combines RoK capital and know-how with cheap DPRK labour. It's a rare example of inter-Korean cooperation. More than 120 RoK companies employ 46,000 DPRK workers.

Seoul halved the number of RoK workers allowed to stay in Kaesong after it believed Pyongyang is responsible for the deadly sinking of one of its warships last year. Fears of the industrial complex being shut down heightened after the DPRK bombarded a front-line RoK island last November.

AP