Koreas hold first talks on dispute arbitration for Kaesong complex

An inter-Korean joint panel on dispute arbitration has begun talks on a jointly run factory park in the communist nation, a government official said Thursday. The meeting at the factory park in the North's western border city of Kaesong is the first of its kind since 2000 when the rival Koreas adopted a deal on dispute arbitration. The sides are expected to discuss how to come up with arbitration regulations for the factory park. The panel is composed of five officials each from the rival Koreas. The sides also have 30 arbitrators each for the panel, which will handle possible legal disputes in the sprawling factory park. The factory park, the last remaining symbol of inter-Korean cooperation, is home to 120 small South Korean plants producing garments, shoes, watches and other labor-intensive goods. More than 44,000 North Koreans work in the complex.