S Korea regrets over DPRK to investigate its real estates in Kumgang area
S Korea regrets over DPRK to investigate its real estates in Kumgang area
21:59, March 18, 2010 
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South Korea on Thursday expressed its "deep regret" to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea ( DPRK) after the later said it will launch investigation to South's all real estates inside the resort area of Mt. Kumgang.
Seoul's Unification Ministry confirmed in a press release that the DPRK informed South Korea via a recent fax message that it will look into all of the real estates owned by South Koreans in the resort area along its east coast. In response, the ministry said the country's position remains unchanged, reaffirming its demand for ensuring safety of its tourists first.
It's no doubt that the DPRK's move violated agreements set between the operators and governments of the both sides, and also infringed international practices, the ministry said.
Pyongyang must abide by the established agreements, and resolve pending problems through dialogue, it added.
The resumption of the cross-border tours, which directly link to the safety of the South Korean citizens, is only possible after the issue of safety guarantee is completely settled, it reiterated.
The DPRK's Asia-Pacific Peace Committee, in charge of exchanges with South Korea, demanded in the earlier fax that the South Korea 's related figures who possess real estate in the Mt. Kumgang area should go there by March 25 to receive investigation, otherwise they will no longer be allowed to visit Mt. Kumgang and their properties will be seized, according to the ministry.
The DPRK also said if Seoul fails to resume the cross-border tour, it will look for new partners from April to run the tourism program to Mt. Kumgang and Kaesong area, the ministry added.
A spokesman for the DPRK's Korea Asia-Pacific Peace Committee on March 4 issued a statement, saying that they will reopen the door to the tour of Kaesong area from March and that of Mt. Kumgang from April.
He also warned that Seoul's blocking of the tour would compel the DPRK to "take decisive measures", such as abrogating all agreements and contracts on the tour provided by the DPRK to the south side and freezing real estates of the south in the tourist areas.
Tours to Mount Kumgang, launched in 1998 and run by South Korea 's Hyundai Asian Corp., was halted in 2008 soon after a South Korean female tourist was shot to death by a DPRK sentinel, and the tour to the border town Kaesong was also suspended in the same year, rapidly souring inter-Korean ties.
The two countries on Feb. 8 held working-level talks on resuming cross-border tours but failed to narrow differences on major issues, as the south side reiterated its demand for drawing up measures to ensure safety of its tourists and prevent recurrences and launch a thorough investigation into the 2008's shooting incident, before reopening tours, but the DPRK said the issues Seoul has brought up were already resolved and suggested resuming tours to Kaesong on March 1 and tours to a resort at Mount Kumgang on April 1.
Source: Xinhua
Seoul's Unification Ministry confirmed in a press release that the DPRK informed South Korea via a recent fax message that it will look into all of the real estates owned by South Koreans in the resort area along its east coast. In response, the ministry said the country's position remains unchanged, reaffirming its demand for ensuring safety of its tourists first.
It's no doubt that the DPRK's move violated agreements set between the operators and governments of the both sides, and also infringed international practices, the ministry said.
Pyongyang must abide by the established agreements, and resolve pending problems through dialogue, it added.
The resumption of the cross-border tours, which directly link to the safety of the South Korean citizens, is only possible after the issue of safety guarantee is completely settled, it reiterated.
The DPRK's Asia-Pacific Peace Committee, in charge of exchanges with South Korea, demanded in the earlier fax that the South Korea 's related figures who possess real estate in the Mt. Kumgang area should go there by March 25 to receive investigation, otherwise they will no longer be allowed to visit Mt. Kumgang and their properties will be seized, according to the ministry.
The DPRK also said if Seoul fails to resume the cross-border tour, it will look for new partners from April to run the tourism program to Mt. Kumgang and Kaesong area, the ministry added.
A spokesman for the DPRK's Korea Asia-Pacific Peace Committee on March 4 issued a statement, saying that they will reopen the door to the tour of Kaesong area from March and that of Mt. Kumgang from April.
He also warned that Seoul's blocking of the tour would compel the DPRK to "take decisive measures", such as abrogating all agreements and contracts on the tour provided by the DPRK to the south side and freezing real estates of the south in the tourist areas.
Tours to Mount Kumgang, launched in 1998 and run by South Korea 's Hyundai Asian Corp., was halted in 2008 soon after a South Korean female tourist was shot to death by a DPRK sentinel, and the tour to the border town Kaesong was also suspended in the same year, rapidly souring inter-Korean ties.
The two countries on Feb. 8 held working-level talks on resuming cross-border tours but failed to narrow differences on major issues, as the south side reiterated its demand for drawing up measures to ensure safety of its tourists and prevent recurrences and launch a thorough investigation into the 2008's shooting incident, before reopening tours, but the DPRK said the issues Seoul has brought up were already resolved and suggested resuming tours to Kaesong on March 1 and tours to a resort at Mount Kumgang on April 1.
Source: Xinhua
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