SEOUL – South Korea expressed regret over North Korea’s refusal of the South’s offer to discuss issues regarding the Kaesong Industrial Complex, including the minimum wage for its North Korean workers.

“The government can never accept any arbitrary changes in the (current Kaesong management) system,” Ministry of Unification spokesperson Lim Byong-chul said in a press conference on Friday. “The North should respond to our offer of a joint committee and solve the issues via discussion between authorities.”

Last February, Pyongyang announcedthat it had raised the minimum wage for the workers to $74 per month from $70.35. Seoul argued against