VOA标准英语2009-North Korea Cancels Contracts at Joint Industria

An industrial venture once celebrated¹ as a symbol of reconciliation² between the two Koreas may be endangered by a sharpening dispute between the two sides. North Korea is essentially³ tearing up the agreements that make the zone run.

North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency declared Friday "the nullification of all incumbent⁴ regulations and contracts regarding the Kaesong industrial complex." If carried through, the move puts the joint⁵ North-South factory zone into a legal freefall that could threaten its very existence.
　
North Korean female workers toil⁶ at a South Korean-run plant in the inter-Korean industrial complex in Kaesong (File)

The Kaesong zone, located in North Korean territory just inside the North-South Korean border, was established about ten years ago as an experiment in peaceful cooperation between the two countries, which remain technically⁷ at war. South Korean companies use more than 30,000 inexpensive North Korean laborers⁸ to manufacture basic consumer goods like cookware and apparel.

Pyongyang says all of the contracts regarding wages, taxes, and usage fees are now void. It says it will issue its own unilateral terms to the South which it can either accept or not.

South Korean Unification Ministry⁹ Spokesman Kim Ho-nyeon says Seoul will not accept the North's terms, which threatens the fundamental operating security of the zone. He says North Korea's 'take it or leave it' stance is irresponsible. He adds, it implies the North does not have the will to sustain the Kaesong complex.

The Kaesong complex has experienced other obstacles in tandem¹⁰ with a gradual worsening of North-South relations over the past year and a half. North Korea has detained a South Korean executive for more than a month. He is accused of making inappropriate political comments about North Korea's leadership, and possibly seeking to persuade a North Korean woman to defect.

North Korea has refused to allow any outside contact with the executive, whether by South Korean officials or legal representatives. At a rare North-South government meeting, the North refused to even discuss the detained executive, instead handing the South demands for more money to continue running the Kaesong zone.

Friday's announcement from Pyongyang follows several days of negotiations¹¹ between North and South aimed at setting up formal talks about the Kaesong zone. North Korea's statement accuses the South of showing an "insincere attitude" in the talks.

Despite the tension, South Korean spokesman Kim says a path to dialogue remains¹² open. He says it is wrong for North Korea to form its Kaesong policy unilaterally. He urges the North to come back to the table and put aside its cancellation¹³ of the contracts governing the zone.

Several hundred South Korean managers remain in Kaesong to oversee¹⁴ operations. It remains to be seen how long South Korea will allow them to remain, with the legal framework governing their presence so uncertain.

1 celebrated   

adj.有名的，声誉卓著的

参考例句：

• He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
• The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。

2 reconciliation   

n.和解，和谐，一致

参考例句：

• He was taken up with the reconciliation of husband and wife.他忙于做夫妻间的调解工作。
• Their handshake appeared to be a gesture of reconciliation.他们的握手似乎是和解的表示。

3 essentially   

adv.本质上，实质上，基本上

参考例句：

• Really great men are essentially modest.真正的伟人大都很谦虚。
• She is an essentially selfish person.她本质上是个自私自利的人。

4 incumbent   

adj.成为责任的，有义务的；现任的，在职的

参考例句：

• He defeated the incumbent governor by a large plurality.他以压倒多数票击败了现任州长。
• It is incumbent upon you to warn them.你有责任警告他们。

5 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

6 toil   

vi.辛劳工作，艰难地行动；n.苦工，难事

参考例句：

• The wealth comes from the toil of the masses.财富来自大众的辛勤劳动。
• Every single grain is the result of toil.每一粒粮食都来之不易。

7 technically   

adv.专门地，技术上地

参考例句：

• Technically it is the most advanced equipment ever.从技术上说，这是最先进的设备。
• The tomato is technically a fruit,although it is eaten as a vegetable.严格地说，西红柿是一种水果，尽管它是当作蔬菜吃的。

8 laborers   

n.体力劳动者，工人( laborer的名词复数 )；（熟练工人的）辅助工

参考例句：

• Laborers were trained to handle 50-ton compactors and giant cranes. 工人们接受操作五十吨压土机和巨型起重机的训练。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Wage-labour rests exclusively on competition between the laborers. 雇佣劳动完全是建立在工人的自相竞争之上的。 来自英汉非文学 - 共产党宣言

9 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

10 tandem   

n.同时发生；配合；adv.一个跟着一个地；纵排地；adj.（两匹马）前后纵列的

参考例句：

• Malcolm's contract will run in tandem with his existing one.马尔科姆的合同将与他手头的合同同时生效。
• He is working in tandem with officials of the Serious Fraud Office.他正配合欺诈重案办公室的官员工作。

11 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

12 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

13 cancellation   

n.删除，取消

参考例句：

• Heavy seas can cause cancellation of ferry services.海上风浪太大，可能须要取消渡轮服务。
• Her cancellation of her trip to Paris upset our plan.她取消了巴黎之行打乱了我们的计划。

14 oversee   

vt.监督，管理

参考例句：

• Soldiers oversee the food handouts.士兵们看管着救济食品。
• Use a surveyor or architect to oversee and inspect the different stages of the work.请一位房产检视员或建筑师来监督并检查不同阶段的工作。