South Korea shows US envoy N.Korean factories

SEOUL, June 12 (Reuters) The US ambassador to South Korea and dozens of other diplomats today went on a tour of an industrial complex in North Korea that has been at the centre of a war of words between Seoul and Washington.

The trip to the Kaesong Industrial Park, where South Korean firms use cheap land and labour, was arranged after the top US official for human rights in North Korea said the project might simply end up providing funds to prop up Pyongyang's leaders.

The two allies' sparring over Kaesong comes at a time of diplomatic tension over North Korea.

Pyongyang has refused to return to six-country talks on its nuclear ambitions, and today the Financial Times said North Korea may be planning to test-fire a ballistic missile.

South Korea said the trip to Kaesong was designed to give US ambassador Alexander Vershbow and other diplomats a first-hand view of a project Seoul sees as a model of integration between the capitalist and communist economies of the two Koreas.

South Korea shot back last month at the critical remarks made by the US official, Jay Lefkowitz, saying he was biased and ill-informed about how Seoul dispenses aid to its neighbour.

Vershbow told reporters that talks were under way to arrange for Lefkowitz to visit the industrial park next month.

''There are still some questions that people have in their minds about Kaesong and I hope that the information that I pass back will be helpful to my colleagues in understanding better what is happening in Kaesong,'' the ambassador said.

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