North and South Korea started rare talks Saturday on re-opening a jointly run industrial zone a month after their previous attempt at dialogue collapsed.

North and South Korea started rare talks Saturday on re-opening a jointly run industrial zone a month after their previous attempt at dialogue collapsed.

Both countries say they want to reopen the Seoul-funded industrial zone on the North Korean side of the border, but have been blaming each other for its suspension.

Citing military tensions and hostility, North Korea withdrew its 53,000 workers from the 123 Seoul-owned factories in April, banning South Korean firms from crossing the border.

Seoul is now expected to call for a written guarantee aimed at preventing a recurrence of the unilateral shutdown of Kaesong, Agence France Presse reported.

Representatives of the South Korean companies in the zone have repeatedly urged the two sides to open talks to revive the moribund industrial park. The South wants its businessmen to be able to bring back finished goods and raw materials.

But some firms have threatened to withdraw from Kaesong, complaining they have fallen victim to political bickering between the two rivals.