South Korean unification minister said Friday that the Seoul government is not mulling the withdrawal of all workers from the joint industrial complex at Kaesong, the border town of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

"At this stage, (the South Korean government) is not considering the pullout from the Kaesong industrial complex," Unification Minister Ryoo Kihl-jae said at a meeting with foreign correspondents in Seoul. "Safety of workers there does not seem to be put in much jeopardy."

Asked about worries over the shutdown of the complex, the minister said that "the Korean government does not want such situation," stressing that "what the government really wants is to maintain and develop the complex in a stable manner."

Ryoo, however, cautioned that "when the situation requires, the withdrawal should be carried out for the safety of workers," noting that "the (possible) disruption in production at the complex is totally up to the North (DPRK)."

His comments came amid escalating tensions on the Korean peninsula after the DPRK staged its third nuclear test on Feb. 12 in a protest against the joint military drills between South Korea and the U.S.

On Wednesday, Pyongyang banned the entry of South Korean workers to the Kaesong industrial park, allowing only for their departure from Kaesong. The inter-Korean industrial zone, launched in late 2004, is housing around 120 South Korean companies that are employing some 54,000 DPRK workers.

Minister Ryoo said that Seoul has had its door open for dialogue with Pyongyang, urging the DPRK to stop its threats and provocations.