hankyoreh

North Korea expelled Thursday a South Korean official from the construction site of an inter-Korean family reunion facility in its Mount Geumgang resort, a government spokesman said.

"A working level official withdrew from the construction site of the inter-Korean family reunion facility in Mount Geumgang between 4:30 and 5 p.m. today at the request of the North Korean side," the spoksman said.

He added that the measure was in accordance with the North Korean position that it would not allow any South Korean government officials to cross the military demarcation line.

North Korea has warned that it would block the passage of South Korean officials across the demarcation line following remarks made by the chairman of the Suth Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Kim Tae-young, new chairman of the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff, told lawmakers in a parliamentary hearing last month that South Korea would strike the North's nuclear sites if Pyongyang tried to attack Seoul with nuclear weapons.

The expelled South Korean official was scheduled to return to the South on Friday.

Meanwhile, Hyundai Asan, the organizer of the tours to the North's scenic mountain, said the tour programs will not be affected by the expulsion of the government official.

"The incident (expulsion) is a matter between the government authorities of the two Koreas and there is no problem in the inter-Korean tourism projects," a Hyundai Asan official said.

The Hyundai affiliate said the construction of the family reunion facility is proceeding without a hitch. The facility, located at the gateway to the Mount Geumgang sightseeing complex, is scheduled for completion in August.

SEOUL, April 10 (Yonhap)