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    Korea
     May 19, 2006
S Korea seeking to unify standards with North

SEOUL - South Korea will push to unify industrial standards with North Korea in a preparatory effort to help reduce the so-called unification cost in the future, a senior government official said Thursday.

To that end, a civilian-government task force will be set up this year to collect related data and coordinate inter-ministerial efforts, Vice Industry Minister Kim Jong-kap said.

"The lack of unified inter-Korean industrial standards may sharply increase the unification cost in the future," Kim said. "About 10% of the cost could arise from the differences in industrial standards."

According to a recent estimate, overcoming the differences could cost Seoul up to 362 trillion won (US$383 billion) for 12 years after



the unification of the divided peninsula.

A unified Germany had to shell out 180 trillion won to overcome obstacles caused by different industrial standards, it said.

The vice minister said the Koreas use different sets of industrial standards. South Korea adopts 21,251 standards in 16 industrial areas, while the North uses 11,000 standards in 18 sectors, he said.

The government will also help companies operating in the North Korean border city of Gaesong with their standardization efforts, Kim said.

More than 10 companies are currently turning out products in a mammoth industrial complex in Gaesong, a symbol of inter-Korean economic cooperation.

(Asia Pulse/Yonhap)

 

 
 



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