ID :
191504
Tue, 06/28/2011 - 10:57
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/191504
The shortlink copeid
N. Korea issues ultimatum over suspended mountain resort
(ATTN: ADDS South Korean official's quotes in paras 7-10)
SEOUL, June 28 (Yonhap) -- North Korea issued an ultimatum Tuesday over the fate of a troubled joint mountain resort in the North, a day before South Korean officials and businesspeople travel to the site to discuss the ownership of assets there.
North Korea has demanded South Korea send its officials to the resort at Mount Kumgang by June 30, after threatening to "dispose of" South Korean-owned properties there. The joint tour project has been suspended since 2008, following the shooting death of a South Korean tourist.
On Monday, the South's Unification Ministry said it will send a delegation of 12 government officials and company representatives to the resort on Wednesday to check the North's stance on the South Korean assets there.
"If (South Korea) misses this opportunity, it will permanently lose a chance for consultations with regard to the Mount Kumgang tour project," the North's official Web site Uriminzokkiri said.
South Korea "must admit its responsibility over the suspension of Mount Kumgang tours and show an attitude of sincerity for the disposal of properties," it said.
Wednesday's visit by South Korean officials would mark the first official contact between the countries since February's inter-Korean military talks, which collapsed after North Korea refused to apologize for its two deadly attacks on the South last year.
The visiting delegation will consist of six government officials and six business representatives, including two from Hyundai Asan, which has invested millions of dollars to build and operate the resort.
"At this stage, it is difficult to say what the North's side intends to do," an official at the Unification Ministry told reporters. "But what's important is to figure out what the disposal of assets means or take necessary measures."
The official said South Korea would deliver its firm stance on protecting its people's property rights to the North during the visit.
Also, South Korea "was preparing for all possibilities" during the visit, the official said, indicating that the North could take more serious measures against the resort project.
The two Koreas launched the tour program at scenic Mount Kumgang on the North's east coast in 1998 as part of moves to boost reconciliation, but Seoul halted its participation in 2008 after a female South Korean tourist was shot dead after straying into an off-limits military zone near the resort.
Pyongyang claims it has done everything it can to shed light on the shooting and guarantee the safety of future tourists, but Seoul says it has yet to receive a formal apology for the incident or guarantees to enhance safety.
In anger, North Korea last year seized or froze several South Korean assets at the resort, including two hotels, a duty free shop and a golf range as well as a reunion center for families separated since the 1950-53 Korean War.
The North also adopted new laws last month, allowing foreign investors to develop the Mount Kumgang resort, according to its state-run Korean Central News Agency.
SEOUL, June 28 (Yonhap) -- North Korea issued an ultimatum Tuesday over the fate of a troubled joint mountain resort in the North, a day before South Korean officials and businesspeople travel to the site to discuss the ownership of assets there.
North Korea has demanded South Korea send its officials to the resort at Mount Kumgang by June 30, after threatening to "dispose of" South Korean-owned properties there. The joint tour project has been suspended since 2008, following the shooting death of a South Korean tourist.
On Monday, the South's Unification Ministry said it will send a delegation of 12 government officials and company representatives to the resort on Wednesday to check the North's stance on the South Korean assets there.
"If (South Korea) misses this opportunity, it will permanently lose a chance for consultations with regard to the Mount Kumgang tour project," the North's official Web site Uriminzokkiri said.
South Korea "must admit its responsibility over the suspension of Mount Kumgang tours and show an attitude of sincerity for the disposal of properties," it said.
Wednesday's visit by South Korean officials would mark the first official contact between the countries since February's inter-Korean military talks, which collapsed after North Korea refused to apologize for its two deadly attacks on the South last year.
The visiting delegation will consist of six government officials and six business representatives, including two from Hyundai Asan, which has invested millions of dollars to build and operate the resort.
"At this stage, it is difficult to say what the North's side intends to do," an official at the Unification Ministry told reporters. "But what's important is to figure out what the disposal of assets means or take necessary measures."
The official said South Korea would deliver its firm stance on protecting its people's property rights to the North during the visit.
Also, South Korea "was preparing for all possibilities" during the visit, the official said, indicating that the North could take more serious measures against the resort project.
The two Koreas launched the tour program at scenic Mount Kumgang on the North's east coast in 1998 as part of moves to boost reconciliation, but Seoul halted its participation in 2008 after a female South Korean tourist was shot dead after straying into an off-limits military zone near the resort.
Pyongyang claims it has done everything it can to shed light on the shooting and guarantee the safety of future tourists, but Seoul says it has yet to receive a formal apology for the incident or guarantees to enhance safety.
In anger, North Korea last year seized or froze several South Korean assets at the resort, including two hotels, a duty free shop and a golf range as well as a reunion center for families separated since the 1950-53 Korean War.
The North also adopted new laws last month, allowing foreign investors to develop the Mount Kumgang resort, according to its state-run Korean Central News Agency.
