SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea says it will recall 51,000 North Korean workers and suspend operations at a factory complex that is the last major symbol of cooperation with its southern rival.
Pyongyang's statement Monday comes amid weeks of war threats and other efforts to punish South Korea and the U.S. for ongoing joint military drills. North Korea is also angry over the U.S.-led push for U.N. sanctions over its Feb. 12 nuclear test.
The complex combines cheap North Korean labor and South Korean know-how and technology. It is the last remaining inter-Korean rapprochement projects from previous eras of cooperation.
But many of the about 120 South Korean companies at Kaesong have recently faced serious challenges as North Korea has barred South Koreans and supply trucks from entering the complex for days.
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