April 23, 2008

North Korea to ban poultry and eggs made in South Korean industrial zone

North Korea will ban South Korean poultry and eggs from a joint-Korean industrial zone, an official said Tuesday, an apparent precaution against bird flu outbreaks that have struck the South.

The North informed the South that the move will take effect Saturday, said Unification Ministry spokesman Kim Ho-nyeon.

South Korea in the past two weeks slaughtered a record 5.32 million birds to contain the recent outbreak of bird flu.

Kim said South Korea brings 85,000 tonnes of chickens and 127,000 eggs to the industrial complex in the North Korean border city of Kaesong every month for food for both South and North Koreans.

The North expelled South Korean officials from the industrial zone late last month in an angry reaction to Seoul' new tougher stance on the North' nuclear disarmament.

Despite the setback, South Korean businessmen still operate in the complex, employing more than 25,600 North Korean laborers and some 800 South Koreans in 69 South Korean companies.

The project is one of the most tangible achievements from the reconciliation between the Koreas that began in 2000 when their two leaders met in a first-ever summit.