Following last Friday's inter-Korean summit at Panmunjom,… expectations are high for further cultural exchanges between the two nations.
But the restarting of tours to Mount Kumgang may be more difficult, as there are concerns that such tours could violate UN sanctions.
Won Jung-hwan reports.
In the wake of Friday's landmark agreement between the leaders of the two Koreas, cross-border cultural exchanges are expected to pick up speed.
But restarting cultural exchanges at Mount Kumgang, one of the best-known mountains in North Korea,… is expected to be difficult as it's been almost ten years since tours last operated.
Hyundai Asan, the main business operator of Mount Kumgang tours, has pointed out that resources and manpower involved on the project has been greatly reduced during the 10 years that operations have been suspended.
From 1998, South Korean tourists had been allowed to visit Mount Kumgang, and over 2 million South Korean's visited the mountains,… but in 2008, then-President Lee Myung-bak shut down the tourism program after a 53-year-old South Korean tourist was killed, with North Korea claiming she entered a restricted area.
Following the incident,... Hyundai Asan, had to shut down operations of its resort, and cut its workforce by more than 85-percent from 2008.
And there's also the issue of U.N. sanctions.
Some say restarting inter-Korean projects may not be easy as such projects by South Korea could violate U.N. sanctions resolutions against North Korea, with the Mount Kumgang tours being seen as a rare cash cow for North Korea.
Hyundai Asan has been making preparations for the reopening of Mount Kumgang even before the inter-Korean summit last week,… but there's still a very bumpy road ahead before tourism exchanges between the two nations can actually begin again.
Won Jung-hwan, Arirang News.
