S. Korea's opposition lawmakers condemn shutdown of inter-Korean factory park

South Korea's opposition lawmakers on Thursday condemned the government for its decision to shut down a jointly run factory park with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), saying the government seemingly tries to use anti-DPRK sentiment in the upcoming general election in April.

Seoul decided Wednesday to stop operations at the Kaesong Industrial Complex in the DPRK's border city in response to Pyongyang's Sunday launch of a long-range rocket in violation of UN Security Council resolutions. The launch came a month after its fourth nuclear test on Jan. 6.

Rep. Lee Jong-Geol, floor leader of the main opposition Minju Party, told a meeting with party members that the government should have self-reflected its own DPRK policy ahead of decision to shut down the industrial zone, expressing his wonders about the government's intention to use anti-DPRK sentiment in the April general election.

Lee expected security threats to escalate further on the Korean peninsula as the last remaining cooperating project between the two Koreas was stopped, denouncing the government's DPRK policy as a very emotional response without any strategy and vision.

Past conservative governments in South Korea sometimes used anti-DPRK sentiment or deliberately caused security fears ahead of important elections as people tend to vote for the governing party under such situations.

The minor opposition People's Party told a press briefing that the permanent shutdown of the Kaesong complex means a disappearance of a line of hope for reunification between the two Koreas, urging the government to maintain the line of hope with a temporary suspension. Enditem