South Korea, U.S. to discuss missile defense; South cuts power to Kaesong park

South Korean vehicles transporting employees working at the Kaesong Industrial Complex (KIC) wait to pass the gateway at the South's CIQ (Customs, Immigration and Quarantine), just south of the demilitarised zone separating the two Koreas, in Paju, South Korea, February 11,...
REUTERS/LIM BYONG-SIK/YONHAP




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South Korea will begin talks with Washington as early as next week on deploying an advanced U.S. missile defense system following North Korea's rocket launch, an official said on Friday, as Seoul cut power to a factory park run jointly with the North.

The discussions would focus on placing one Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) unit with the U.S. military in South Korea after the North's launch last weekend, a South Korean defense official told Reuters on condition of anonymity.

Seoul and Washington said the test violated U.N. Security Council resolutions.

South Korea on Wednesday suspended operations at the Kaesong industrial zone as punishment for the rocket launch and a nuclear test last month. The zone, located just inside North Korea, had operated for more than a decade.

The North called the move "a declaration of war" on Thursday and expelled the South's workers. Kaesong was the last venue for regular interaction between the divided Koreas.

The 280 South Koreans who had remained in Kaesong rushed to leave the industrial park on Thursday evening, completing the pullout at 11:05 p.m.(1405 GMT), the South's Unification Ministry, which handles relations with the North, said.



A few minutes before midnight, the South shut off the supply of electricity into Kaesong that powered the factory zone, the ministry said early on Friday. It also cut the water supply.