S. Korea party chief visits N. Korea

South Korea's ruling party chief said Friday he'll seek to make his country more flexible in its relations with rival North Korea. Hong Joon-pyo, chief of the Grand National Party, made the comments as he returned from a trip to a North Korean industrial complex jointly run by the two countries, Yonhap reported. He said it is a "politician's obligation" to break the impasse between the two countries amid strained relations over the North's attacks last year that killed 50 South Koreans, most of them soldiers. But the North has refused to take responsibility for the attacks. "I will try to change the principle in the (South Korean) government's North Korea policy from strict reciprocity to flexible reciprocity," Hong told reporters when he returned from the one-day trip. The trip -- the first by a chief of the conservative party to the industrial zone -- did not include talks with North Korean officials, Hong said. During the trip to the Kaesong industrial complex, he visited factories run by South Koreans and met with business owners while pledging to begin talks with the North about improving infrastructure and business conditions at the complex. More than 47,000 North Koreans work at an estimated 120 South Korean companies that produce clothing, utensils, watches and other goods in the industrial zone, Yonhap said. The trip came after nuclear negotiators for the two countries had a second meeting in two months last week in Beijing, but Yonhap reported little progress. South Korea and the United States demand North Korea end its uranium-enrichment program and allow nuclear inspectors to return to the country before the talks resume. The six-party talks -- last held in Beijing in late 2008 -- involve the two Koreas, China, the United States, Japan and Russia.