N. Korea agrees on next week's Gaeseong committee meeting

North Korea accepted Seoul's proposal Thursday to hold the first-ever meeting next week of a newly created joint committee that will oversee management of an inter-Korean factory park in Gaeseong and prevent future work stoppages.

The confirmation comes a day after Seoul's Ministry of Unification said a deal has been reached with the North in regards to the joint committee on the factory zone, which has been shuttered for nearly four months, calling for its first meeting next Monday.

The formation of the new committee, which is an integral part of the Aug. 14 pact, is expected to give Seoul an equal say in the running of the complex, a main economic link between the two countries.

The committee is expected to prevent the North from taking unilateral action to disrupt operations at the park as it did in early April amid heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

The North's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) monitored in Seoul said, without giving much detail, that two Koreas reached an agreement on the creation of the committee and accepted the date for the first talks.

It said that the committee will have a permanent secretariat and sub-committees that will handle matters of running the complex.

Seoul, meanwhile, said the committee's role includes safeguarding Korean nationals who will work at the complex, protecting investment and striving for the internationalizing of the Gaeseong complex to attract new business.

An official source said the committee will likely meet at least every quarter to discuss outstanding issues, with everyday work being handled by the secretariat. (Yonhap News)