Seoul: Unification Minister Chung Dong-young expressed hope Monday to resume an inter-Korean tour program to North Korea's Mount Kumgang and expand it to the newly developed Kalma beach resort. Chung made the remarks during a meeting with Hyun Jeong-eun, chairperson of Hyundai Group, the parent firm of Hyundai Asan, which operated the now-suspended tours to the North's Mount Kumgang resort.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the once-brisk tour program came to an abrupt halt in July 2008 after a South Korean tourist was shot to death by North Korean soldiers for entering what Pyongyang claimed was an off-limits military area. Chung emphasized the potential for resuming the tours, stating, "I hope the day will soon come when the tour to the Mount Kumgang tourist zone can be linked ... to (North Korea's) Wonsan-Kalma beach area so that it can be operated properly."
Chung highlighted U.S. President Donald Trump's previous remarks about North Korea's "great beaches," which he believes contributed to the fame of the Kalma resort area. He noted the importance of a potential summit between President Trump and Chairman Kim Jong-un taking place in the area. The Hyundai chairwoman shared this sentiment, expressing a desire to see the tours resume, especially given the recent developments in the Wonsan area.
After years of development, North Korea opened the Kalma beach resort in the eastern coastal city of Wonsan in early July, targeting foreign tourists, though South Koreans remain barred. During the meeting, Hyundai Asan CEO Lee Paik-hoon confirmed the company's readiness to open tours to the North Korean beach "anytime," while emphasizing the necessity of South Korean tourists for the project's profitability.
Lee suggested that Wonsan is a destination that should be visited by cruise ships, adding that the firm has already secured passenger vessels for this purpose.