북한이 우리측 인력의 개성공단 진입을 위한 통 행을 이틀째 차단하고 있는 가운데 개성공단에 대한 압박을 계속하고 있다.

북한의 대남기구인 조국평화통일위원회(조평통) 대변인은 4일 조선중앙통신사 기자의 질문에 답하는 형식으로 통행차단 조치에 대한 우리 정부의 유감 표명과 정상화 촉구, 남측 언론의 억류사태 우려 보도 등을 비난했다.

북한은 "못된 입질을 계속해 시끄럽게 놀아댄다면 우리 근로자들을 전부 철수시 키는 단호한 조치를 취하게 될 것"이라면서 "우리의 아량에도 한계가 있다는 것을 알아야 한다. 개성공업지구는 파산 전야에 있다는 것을 명심해야 한다"고 개성공단 폐쇄 위협 수위를 더욱 높였다.

우리 측 인원이 개성공단으로 새로 들어가는 것을 전날부터 막은 데 이어 5만 3 천여명에 이르는 북측 근로자들의 철수까지 언급한 것이다.

북한은 우리 입주기업 몇 곳에 오는 10일까지의 통행(남측으로의 귀환) 계획을 미리 제출할 것도 요구한 것으로 전해졌다.

이는 개성공단이 5일부터 휴일•주말체제로 들어가는 만큼 통상적 차원에서 이뤄졌을 가능성이 있다. 5일은 북한의 민속명절(휴일)인 '청명절'이고 6일부터는 주말이기 때문이다.

그러나 일각에서는 북한이 우리측을 떠보려는 것 아니냐는 관측도 내놓았다. 남쪽으로의 귀환이 진행되고 있는 가운데 북한이 남측 관계자들이 어느 정도 빠져나가는지 가늠하기 위해 통행계획서를 요구했을 수 있다는 것이다.

북한이 앞으로 전면적 통행차단 등 상황을 추가로 악화할 가능성을 시사한 것 아니냐는 관측도 조심스럽게 나온다.

장용석 서울대 통일평화연구원 선임연구원은 "북측이 실제 적어도 한시적으로 개성공단을 폐쇄할 가능성도 없지 않다"면서 "개성공단에 대한 잇따른 압박은 폐쇄의 명분을 쌓으려는 의도가 있는 것으로 보인다"고 분석했다.

개성공단과 관련한 책임을 남쪽으로 돌림으로써 개성공단 사태가 향후 북한의 대외경제 협력에 미칠 영향을 최소화하려는 것 아니냐는 관측이다.

우리 정부는 현지 체류인원의 신변안전 등 만일의 사태에 대비하면서 상황악화 방지에 주력하는 모습이다.

남북관계의 최후 보루인 개성공단까지 문을 닫는 상황이 발생하면 '한반도 신뢰 프로세스'는 더욱 어려운 환경에 처할 수밖에 없다.

통일부 당국자는 이날 북한의 통행정상화를 거듭 촉구하며 "정부는 개성공단이 남북관계의 마중물이라는 입장에서, 안정적으로 운영이 이뤄지는 입장에서 대처하고 있다. 북측도 개성공단에 대해 확실히 자리 매김을 해야한다"고 지적했다.

그러나 북한이 개성공단에 대해 추가로 상황을 악화시키거나 현재의 통행차단 조치로 조업 차질이 가속화되면 우리 정부의 고심은 한층 커질 것으로 보인다.

<관련 영문 기사>

N. Korea blocks S. Koreans' access to Kaesong complex for 2nd day


North Korea on Thursday maintained its entry ban on South Korean workers and cargo wanting to go to the inter-Korean industrial park in Kaesong for the second day despite Seoul's calls to lift the passage restrictions, the government said.

The Ministry of Unification said it received official notification through the Kaesong Industrial District Management Committee that workers will only be permitted to leave but not enter the border town.

It said of the 828 people who stayed overnight at the complex, 222 people and more than 130 vehicles are expected to cross over the demilitarized zone (DMZ) that separates the two Koreas during the day.

"Seoul's stance that operations at the industrial park should be normalized remains unchanged, and it is highly regrettable that the North is pursuing this course of action," a senior official, who declined to be identified said.

He said that if the movement restrictions on personnel and materials are not lifted soon, it is only a matter of time before production at Kaesong will be affected.

"Such a development is not in line with Pyongyang's plans to strengthen its economy as stated numerous times in the past," he said.

On mounting speculations as to why the North is taking actions that could hurt it economically, the official said it may be a ploy to divert attention from the communist country's development of weapons of mass destruction (WMD). He also claimed it may be part of the North's strategy to fuel security concerns in South Korea and stir social discord. There have been calls in the South for the new Park Geun-hye administration to take a more conciliatory stance and not follow the hard-line polices of the previous government.

The official said that despite mounting rhetorical and physical threats, Seoul is preparing for all contingencies and ready to reply accordingly, although he gave no details.

The ministry in charge of dialogue with the North and formulating unification policies repeatedly said that it will not accept unreasonable demands made by the North and continue to call on Pyongyang to make right choices, including giving up its WMD ambitions. The isolationist country has detonated three nuclear devices and launched five rockets with the last having the range to hit the United States.

It also pointed out that under an agreement reached on the safe passage of people and materials to Kaesong, the North does not have the right to unilaterally prevent people from entering the industrial park.

The Customs, Immigration and Quarantine Office (CIQ) in Paju, about 50 kilometers northwest of Seoul, said people and vehicles were crossing back over the demilitarized zone that separates the two countries without a hitch. As of noon, 16 people and 12 vehicles had crossed south.

It said that workers wanting to go to Kaesong showed up again in hopes that the North might have reversed its position, but went back after Pyongyang continued to keep its borders closed.

On Wednesday, the communist country first informed Seoul that it will block South Koreans from entering the industrial park and made clear it will not impede the outflow of workers over the DMZ.

The Kaesong complex continues to operate normally because there are still South Korean managers and North Korean workers running the

123 factories and companies had stockpiled parts and building materials.

Meanwhile, workers who returned to the South said there had been no real change at the Kaesong complex, although security was tightened and the North prohibited all outflow of machinery.

They said more people were leaving because Friday is a public holiday in the North, which means most factories will not be in operation.

Related to the restrictions imposed by the North, the association for South Korean firms in the Kaesong Industrial Complex and the Korea Federation of Small and Medium Business released a joint statement at the CIQ stressing that production must not be halted at Kaesong. The complex employs about 800 South Korean workers and more than 53,000 North Korean laborers.

They said travel restrictions are seriously affecting business operations and that some plants have already stopped work. The groups said that if the restrictions are maintained for more than a week things can become very dire.

The business groups then asked the Seoul government to play a more active role in stabilizing the situation since the Kaesong complex was created under an agreement between the two governments. (Yonhap News)