North Korea offers to reopen Kaesong Industrial Complex

North Korea said Wednesday it will reopen the Kaesong Industrial Complex, which was shut down months ago amid tensions between the North and South Korea. The announcement by the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea issued through the Korean Central News Agency said North Korea would offer safe passage of all South Koreans entering the complex. The North described the move was "prompted by its desire to bring about a new phase of reconciliation, cooperation, peace, reunification and prosperity by normalizing operations in the Kaesong zone." The North pulled all of its 53,000 workers from the complex amid tensions between the two countries in April. The countries have undergone six rounds of talks to agree on reopening the complex. As part of the announcement, North Korea proposed a seventh round of talks to be held Aug. 14, Yonhap News Agency reported. At the heart of the conflict is the South's demand the North take responsibility for the financial damage it caused by abruptly pulling thousands of workers from the complex and shutting down its factories. The North has said the South is to blame for the shutdown because of its confrontational attitude, The New York Times reported.