Report: North Korea blows up a tourist resort for South Koreans

  • Mount Kumgang in North Korea – Diamond Mountain – the tourist resort was once a symbol of hope for peace.
  • Satellite images show buildings at the resort were destroyed last weekend, reports The Times.
  • Many of the destroyed buildings were owned by South Korea.

North Korea used explosives to demolish a golf resort built for South Koreans that was once a symbol of hope for peace and cooperation between the two countries, according to the British Guardian newspaper. times.

Satellite images show that buildings at Mount Kumgang – the Mount Diamond – tourist resort, built by South Korean companies, were partially destroyed last weekend, The Times reported.

This comes on the heels of reports that the Haegumgang floating hotel in Mount Kumgang, which is owned by South Korean conglomerate Hyundai, was dismantled last month. in the local media.

Visitors enjoy the manicured lawn of the South Korean-owned golf course at Mount Kumgang Resort, also known as Diamond Mountain, in North Korea on September 1, 2011.

Visitors enjoy the manicured lawn of the South Korean-owned golf course at Mount Kumgang Resort, also known as Diamond Mountain, in North Korea on September 1, 2011.

By Han Guan, AP Photo


South Korean government officials have tried to use the intergovernmental hotline to demand an explanation for the destruction of tour companies in the mountainous region, according to The Times. They were unsuccessful in their efforts to obtain a response.

“North Korea’s unilateral act to dismantle the hotel clearly goes against the goal of inter-Korean joint efforts based on mutual respect and consultations,” Cha Deok-cheol, a spokesman for South Korea’s Unification Ministry, told The Times.

In this photo on Saturday, October 8, 2011, a North Korean man records a video of the scene as he and his fellow hikers climb the summit of Mount Kumgang in North Korea.

In this photo on Saturday, October 8, 2011, a North Korean man records a video of the scene as he and his fellow hikers climb the summit of Mount Kumgang in North Korea.

David Gutenfelder / AP Photo


The Mount Kumgang Tourist Area, a special administrative region in North Korea, was established in 2002 to welcome South Korean vacationers.

A hallmark of South Korea’s “sunshine policy” in dealing with North Korea was a foreign policy framework that attempted to enhance cooperation between the two countries through economic interaction.

Map of Mt. Kumgang tourist area in North Korea.

Map of Mt. Kumgang tourist area in North Korea.

Inside / Google Maps


South Koreans have frequented the resort for several years, contributing foreign currency to the North Korean economy. However, tourism came to a halt in 2008 when a North Korean soldier was shot dead by a tourist.

A 53-year-old South Korean woman was killed after entering a restricted area, leading the South Korean government to suspend tours to the resort. The suspension continued until 2018.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visits the Mt. Kumgang resort in North Korea

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspects the tourist resort of Mount Kumgang, North Korea, October 23, 2019.

Reuters


In 2019, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visited the tourist area and criticized it, calling it “backward”, “hot” and “shabby”. Australian ABC News. Media reported that he advocated rebuilding the facilities to meet North Korea’s “aesthetic taste”, the media reported.

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