hankyoreh

An image of North Korean Premier Kim Tok-hun inspecting Pyongyang’s tourism project at Mt. Kumgang published in the Rodong Sinmun on Dec. 20. (Yonhap News)

North Korean Premier Kim Tok-hun conducted an on-site inspection of a development project in the Mt. Kumgang region, the Rodong Sinmun newspaper reported in a front-page article on Dec. 20.

During his visit, Kim toured the Kosong Port coastal tourism zone, the Haegum River coastal park zone, and a sports culture zone, the newspaper said, adding that he “discussed practical measures for the precise reflection and execution of the [Workers’ Party of Korea] vision in the Mt. Kumgang tourism region general development plan.”

The Rodong Sinmun piece emphasized both the “autonomous architectural ideas” and the “world-class level” of the project.

It was the first public report of an on-site inspection by a senior official since an October 2019 visit to Mt. Kumgang by leader Kim Jong-un, who ordered the “demolition” of existing structures and shared a vision for a “comprehensive international tourism and culture region.”

This suggests the ball is rolling once again on the North’s independent plans for developing Mt. Kumgang after they were delayed for over a year amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Mt. Kumgang now appears poised to emerge as an issue in inter-Korean relations in 2021.

The inspection of the Mt. Kumgang region by Kim Tok-hun — the official supervising the North’s economic policies and a member of the Presidium of the WPK Politburo — is likely related to Kim Jong-un’s “special orders” for the region, given in October 2019. Mr. Kumgang will likely be discussed during the 8th WPK Congress in January 2021.

Once the North’s independent development effort enters full swing, issues concerning private property are likely to emerge over the demolition of existing structures. The matter is likely to burden inter-Korean relations if the two sides can’t find common ground.

“It’s tough to see the report of Premier Kim’s on-site inspection of Mt. Kumgang as ‘good news,’” said a former senior South Korean government official. At the same time, the former official predicted that the demolition would “not become an immediate issue for the South and North in the near future, as the North is unlikely to do anything before the COVID-19 situation has stabilized.”

“We’ll need to give things time and look for a solution,” they added.

Indeed, multiple sources who are apprised of the situation reported that no actual evidence had yet been detected of demolition preparations by North Korea in the Mt. Kumgang region. The North also had not separately contacted the South Korean Ministry of Unification (MOU) or Hyundai Asan — the company responsible for the venture — around the time of the report on Kim’s visit.

Also noteworthy is that the Rodong Sinmun did not mention the word “demolition” in connection with the South Korean structures, which Kim Jong-un had previously said were “run-down” and left him in a “bad mood” when he looked at them.

Another former senior South Korean government official suggested, “In refraining from any language that would place an additional burden on inter-Korean relations even as the North stresses the importance of its own development efforts, Pyongyang appears to be attempting to leave various possibilities open.”

“The problem is that we have very little room to maneuver,” the former official added.

A MOU official said, “Since the South and North agree on the need to resolve pressing issues in the Mt. Kumgang region and develop it into an international tourism zone, hopefully we can meet at an appropriate time to discuss things in consideration of the COVID-19 situation and other factors.”

Reporting on Kim Jong-un’s visit to Mt. Kumgang in a front-page story on Oct. 23, 2019, the Rodong Sinmun quoted him as saying that the South Korean structures would need to be “removed through discussions with the relevant South Korean sectors,” with “modern service facilities newly built in our style.”

Pyongyang proceeded to call for the total demolition of the structures before notifying the South on Jan. 30 of this year that the demolition was being “postponed for the time being” as the North closed its borders amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

By Lee Je-hun, senior staff writer

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