hankyoreh

South Korean tourists have been prohibited from visiting the mountain. Tourists now must content themselves with looking at the mountain from the observation post. (by Lee Sang-yeop)

By Park Soo-hyuk, Gangwon correspondent

Gangwon Provincial Council is pushing support measures for residents suffering damages as the halt to tourism at North Korea’s Mt. Kumgang resort wears on.

Park Hyo-dong, a council member from Goseong County, said on Nov. 16 that he was surveying residents and the provincial leadership in advance of proposing an ordinance to support those hurt by the suspension. The ordinance would be the first provincial-level attempt to provide administrative and financial assistance to residents suffering under the measure.

In a nutshell, the ordinance would require the governor to set up and implement a plan for resident support in affected areas, while providing tuition support for resident children, creating public sector jobs, establishing a compensation fund for policy measures, and supporting farmer and fisherman business activities. It would also include additional plans for financial assistance, including the priority selection of state- and province-subsidized economic revitalization efforts and an increase in the percentage of their cost paid by the province.

If enacted, the ordinance would serve as a legal basis for the province to provide priority support to suffering regions.

After tourism to Mt. Kumgang was suspended in July 2008, the county of Goseong suffered direct and indirect losses estimated at 148 billion won (US$136 million) through late October as tourist visits plunged from 6.26 million in 2007 to 1.43 million last year. That led to restaurants temporarily or permanently closing down, sales losses, and a spike in unemployment.

“Residents are suffering severe hardship because of the Mt. Kumgang tourism halt,” said Park. “We need measures from the [central] government, but as a first step we’re developing this ordinance for support measures at the Gangwon Province levle.

"This is an issue that requires urgent action, so we plan to get the consent of our fellow council members and propose [the ordinance] within this months’ session."

The province intends to take aggressive action to provide support if the ordinance is enacted.

Governor Choi Moon-soon said, "If the ordinance is enacted, I will do my best to see to it that it provides real help to suffering residents."

Choi also said the central government should take active steps, saying responsibility for the tourism halt lies with the state.

In September, Rep. Won Hye-young (DUP-Bucheon/Ojeong) led 59 ruling and opposition party National Assembly lawmakers in proposing special legislation to compensate damages to inter-Korean economic cooperation ventures from the halt in tourism at Mt. Kumgang, as well as the so-called "May 24" measures taken against North Korea after the 2010 sinking of the ROKS Cheonan.

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