According to a December 5th report of North Korea’s propaganda media Uriminzokkiri， the Presidium of the Supreme People’s Assembly reached a decision on November 20 to revise the Act on the Kaesong Industrial Complex (KIC).

It reported that ten provisions in the Kaesong worker regulations were revised including the 5 percent ceiling on annual wage increase to the minimum wage.

North Korea’s General Bureau for Central Guidance on the Development of the Special Zone delivered the notice in writing to the Kaesong Industrial Complex Management Committee on December 8， stipulating that 13 provisions were revised. Out of the 49 total provisions， the 13 provisions that were modified pertain to the function of the KIC Management Committee and the wage system.

According to the decision， North Korea elucidated the labor and wage regulations will be unilaterally directed by the General Bureau， dismissing the authority of the KIC Management Committee. Furthermore， the clause that depicts the minimum wage of USD 50.00 and limit of 5 percent wage increase were deleted. Instead， the revised provisions prescribe that the General Bureau will make the decision every year.

In addition， overtime pay will be increased from the current 50 percent to between 50 to 100 percent. Furthermore， workers who have worked for more than a year will be eligible for severance pay， regardless of the condition of their leave. The previous clause stated severance pay was to be paid only when the termination incurred from “circumstance of the company”; but this condition has been deleted from the revised clause， and pay must now be given even for voluntary leave. Also removed was the provision that states the wage should be paid directly to the employee in cash.

Meanwhile， the South Korean government made a statement disproving the recent modifications to the KIC regulations. The South Korean government is refuting North Korea’s decision based on the fact that it was a unilateral decision by the North without consulting the joint committees of the KIC. The South is affirming its position to strongly counter against the North’s one-sided decision.

Revision of the labor regulations of the KIC is regarded as a violation to the general agreement that undermines the stability and the credibility of the KIC regulations. Such labor regulations clearly violate the inter-Korean agreements on wage system and various labor and tax systems newly reached by the various institutions in the North-South Joint Committee of the KIC after the KIC was restarted last year.

The current minimum wage of a KIC worker is USD 70.30， which reaches up to an average of USD 150.00 per month after various incentives are included. Each company is paying a total of USD 210.00 per employee where 15 percent of the minimum wage is allocated to social insurance， transportation， and snack costs.

North Korea has persistently demanded for a wage increase. North Korean employees dispatched to China’s Dandong City are paid an average of USD 300.00 per month. Thus， the recent move by North Korea can be seen as a move to raise the minimum wage at the KIC to a similar level. In addition， this move can be interpreted as North Korea’s intention to maximize economic gain by taking unilateral action toward tenant companies in the KIC.
According to a December 5th report of North Korea’s propaganda media Uriminzokkiri， the Presidium of the Supreme People’s Assembly reached a decision on November 20 to revise the Act on the Kaesong Industrial Complex (KIC).

It reported that ten provisions in the Kaesong worker regulations were revised including the 5 percent ceiling on annual wage increase to the minimum wage.

North Korea’s General Bureau for Central Guidance on the Development of the Special Zone delivered the notice in writing to the Kaesong Industrial Complex Management Committee on December 8， stipulating that 13 provisions were revised. Out of the 49 total provisions， the 13 provisions that were modified pertain to the function of the KIC Management Committee and the wage system.

According to the decision， North Korea elucidated the labor and wage regulations will be unilaterally directed by the General Bureau， dismissing the authority of the KIC Management Committee. Furthermore， the clause that depicts the minimum wage of USD 50.00 and limit of 5 percent wage increase were deleted. Instead， the revised provisions prescribe that the General Bureau will make the decision every year.

In addition， overtime pay will be increased from the current 50 percent to between 50 to 100 percent. Furthermore， workers who have worked for more than a year will be eligible for severance pay， regardless of the condition of their leave. The previous clause stated severance pay was to be paid only when the termination incurred from “circumstance of the company”; but this condition has been deleted from the revised clause， and pay must now be given even for voluntary leave. Also removed was the provision that states the wage should be paid directly to the employee in cash.

Meanwhile， the South Korean government made a statement disproving the recent modifications to the KIC regulations. The South Korean government is refuting North Korea’s decision based on the fact that it was a unilateral decision by the North without consulting the joint committees of the KIC. The South is affirming its position to strongly counter against the North’s one-sided decision.

Revision of the labor regulations of the KIC is regarded as a violation to the general agreement that undermines the stability and the credibility of the KIC regulations. Such labor regulations clearly violate the inter-Korean agreements on wage system and various labor and tax systems newly reached by the various institutions in the North-South Joint Committee of the KIC after the KIC was restarted last year.

The current minimum wage of a KIC worker is USD 70.30， which reaches up to an average of USD 150.00 per month after various incentives are included. Each company is paying a total of USD 210.00 per employee where 15 percent of the minimum wage is allocated to social insurance， transportation， and snack costs.

North Korea has persistently demanded for a wage increase. North Korean employees dispatched to China’s Dandong City are paid an average of USD 300.00 per month. Thus， the recent move by North Korea can be seen as a move to raise the minimum wage at the KIC to a similar level. In addition， this move can be interpreted as North Korea’s intention to maximize economic gain by taking unilateral action toward tenant companies in the KIC.