N. Korea blames S. Korea for prolonged suspension of tours to Mount Kumgang

SEOUL, July 4 (Yonhap) -- North Korea accused the South Korean government of blocking tours to Mount Kumgang in the communist state Saturday, again blaming Seoul for the prolonged suspension of the cross-border tours since 2008.

Once a symbol of reconciliation between the divided Koreas, tours to the North Korean resort, developed and operated by a South Korean firm, have been suspended since a female South Korean tourist was shot and killed by a North Korean soldier there.

Seoul has repeatedly demanded a set of measures to prevent recurrences of such a tragedy, but talks with Pyongyang have made little progress while the communist regime laid claim to facilities and other assets developed and owned by Hyundai Asan, the South Korean operator of the cross-border tour program.

A spokesman for the DPRK Guidance Bureau of Special Zone for International tour of Mount Kumgang said the tours have been suspended because the Seoul government has "deliberately blocked its resumption."

In an interview with the North's official Korean Central News Agency, the unidentified spokesman said, "the tour of Mt. Kumgang... was suspended because the South Korean conservative group has deliberately blocked its resumption by abusing the incident of a South Korean tourist for the confrontation with the fellow countrymen in the North and describing it as a financial source for the North."

DPRK stands for the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

"The South Korean authorities are misleading public opinion, asserting that such problems occurred because the North refused to respond to their call for dialogue aimed to resume the tour," the spokesman said.

"No matter what rhetoric the puppet group may use to cover up stark reality, no one would pay heed to it."

South and North Korea have remained divided since the end of the 1950-53 Korean War. They also technically remain at war as the conflict ended with only with an armistice, not a peace treaty.

bdk@yna.co.kr
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