hankyoreh

North Korea, which has been pressuring South Korea to restart the Mt. Kumgang tourism project, enacted new measures two days ago. Our government is virtually ignoring these measures. It appears that the tourism project, which has been suspended for 21 months, is entering a stage of deterioration.

North Korea claimed that there is no longer any room to discuss the issue of tourism in today’s climate, in which ideological conflict has gone beyond the point of danger. This is a stronger statement than they have issued previously. It does not, however, mean that North Korea will immediately liquidate the entire project. North Korea’s measures are also limited to a freeze on some of the South Korean facilities including the family reunion center and restarting tourism under new management. The fact that the measures were taken under the name of the General Guidance Bureau for the Development of Scenic Spots, a working-level group, and not Hyundai’s contract partner in North Korea, the Asia-Pacific Peace Committee, shows North Korea’s intention to avoid a collapse of the agreement. Of course, it could in the future lead to North Korea undertaking firm response measures such as a complete reevaluation of the Kaesong Industrial Zone, as it has previously pledged. The project now stands at a crossroads.

Restarting the Mt. Kumgang tourism project is completely in the hands of the South Korean government. The Lee Myung-bak administration is still holding on to preconditions, which include revealing the truth behind the shooting of a South Korean tourist, measures to prevent a recurrence of a similar incident in the future and guarantees of tourist safety. This is just an excuse, however: the Lee administration is using the project as a significant source of pressure on the North Korean government. This attitude, which regards economic cooperation as subordinate to other pending inter-Korean issues such as the nuclear issue, implies that it would be no problem to abandon the Mt. Kumgang tourism project. This policy mindset is entirely misguided. Economic cooperation is itself significant and provides the groundwork for progress in the entire inter-Korean relationship and the nuclear issue.



As for the main reason for suspending the Mt. Kumgang tourism project, the shooting of a South Korean tourist, North Korea has taken the situation seriously, as far as anyone can see. Now is the time for a decision on the tourism project and inter-Korean relations in total. North Korea’s unilateral attitude as of late is wrong, but it is South Korea that has holds the key to resolving the problem. Before the situation becomes any worse, we hope the government resolves to restart the tourism project.

Please direct questions or comments to [englishhani@hani.co.kr]