The Mt. Geumgang tour program faces a serious setback, as North Korea has seized South Korean government facilities at the North’s Mt. Geumgang resort and has started freezing privately-owned South Korean property as well. The North Korean Guidance Bureau for Comprehensive Development of Scenic Spots, which is in charge of the inter-Korean joint tourism program, said on April 23 that the North would seize all the South Korean assets that it had frozen on April 13. The bureau threatened that the five seized assets would be taken over by the North Korean government or handed over to a new business partner. Also, North Korea began freezing privately held properties, including those owned by Hyundai Asan, from Tuesday, April 27. Here’s Professor Ryu Gil-jae from the University of North Korean Studies to explain more about the South Korean assets the North confiscated.

North Korea has already frozen and seized South Korean government-owned properties, including a family reunion center, as well as a duty-free shop and a culture center belonging to the South’s Korea Tourism Organization. The North also began freezing various facilities owned by Hyundai Asan, including the Mt. Geumgang Hotel, and a golf course, in which a considerable amount of money was invested. The property seizure is applied to nearly all the buildings that have been used for the tourism business and the sites where those buildings are set up.

Diplomatic experts view the North’s latest move as a drastic measure transcending the “extreme steps” the North had threatened to take last month. North Korea first mentioned the possibility of an asset seizure at Mt. Geumgang on March 18. It actually froze properties owned by the South Korean government on April 13, and exactly ten days later, the North went ahead with the seizure of the frozen assets. North Korea is taking action much faster than expected. As for the reason for the property seizure, North Korea cites a loss from the prolonged suspension of the tours. But experts speculate North Korea has concluded it cannot expect anything from South Korea, as there is no room for better ties with Seoul amid the brewing suspicion of North Korean involvement in the sinking of the South Korean Navy vessel Cheonan, while the discussions about the resumption of the six-party talks have been delayed.

Starting in February this year, North Korea has stepped up pressure on the South to resume the Mt. Geumgang tour. The North has apparently been plagued by losses from the suspended tour since July 2008 when a South Korean tourist named Park Wang-ja was shot to death by a North Korean solider at the mountain resort. But the North seems to have realized that the South will not accept the North’s demand for the prompt resumption of the tour. So it is now seeking a new business partner, possibly in China, to keep the tour business going and earning money again. I think the recent strong measures indicate North Korea’s intention to close the joint tourism business with South Korea.

Some are concerned that the tour program has, in effect, been shut down permanently. But this isn’t the end. North Korea warned on April 23 that more drastic actions may follow if South Korea challenges the North’s measures. Judging from the North’s attitude, experts predict the North will continue its tough stance until there is a major shift in the South Korean government’s North Korea policy. On April 10, North Korea also threatened to consider ending military safety guarantees for overland passage across the border to and from the inter-Korean Gaeseong Industrial Complex. So, many are worried that the North’s hostile measures could be extended to the industrial park project as well.

Considering the overall circumstances, I suspect North Korea decided to drop its previous policy of maintaining relations with South Korea based on bilateral economic cooperation. In this context, Pyongyang may have changed its South Korea policy altogether, rather than simply sticking to the Mt. Geumgang tour that has been suspended for 20 months. Then, the Gaeseong industrial park project will be in a precarious state, too. Inter-Korean ties have developed based on mutual economic cooperation since 2000. But if all the joint projects are suspended, future inter-Korean ties will evolve differently. The permanent shutdown of the Gaeseong industrial park, if realized, means the collapse of the basic cooperative framework between the two Koreas, built by the former liberal governments in South Korea. If that happens, inter-Korean relations may revert to the way they were before 1998.

N: At this point in time, Hyundai Asan and its partner firms are feeling anxious more than anyone else. Hyundai Asan, the operator of the suspended inter-Korean tour, says the Mt. Geumgang tour has contributed to inter-Korean reconciliation and cooperation, and should not be brought to a halt. The company is urging the government to be more committed to breaking the current deadlock. Many are now watching how the South Korean government will react. The Unification Ministry said on April 23 that it would examine specific response measures. It is reportedly considering a phased reduction in private-level exchanges and restricted economic cooperation with North Korea. Professor Ryu predicts there is slim possibility that the government, having the June 2nd local elections in mind, will soften its attitude toward Pyongyang before the exact cause of the Cheonan sinking incident is determined.

As a matter of fact, it isn’t easy for the government to sort through proper options right now. If North Korea is confirmed to have been behind the sinking incident, inter-Korean relations will almost certainly become hostile again. It’s necessary to handle bilateral relations stably, though only at the minimum level. When the current perilous phase is over, the government will have to deal with North Korea in a more stable and effective way. And it needs to start preparing for a roadmap for future dialogue now.

For the last twelve years, the Mt. Geumgang tours have served as a symbol of inter-Korean reconciliation and shared prosperity. The current crisis will affect not only the joint tour business but also the Gaeseong industrial park project and the overall relations between South and North Korea. At this sensitive time when speculation of North Korean involvement in the sinking of the South Korean navy ship grows, both sides must refrain from additional provocative measures and cope with the situation with patience and composure.



[Interview] N. Korean Food Showcased at WTFE 2010
The World Tourism and Food Expo 2010 took place from April 14 to 18 at the aT Center in Yangjae-dong, southern Seoul. A group of students stop at a corner exhibiting North Korean dishes. The students, who study cooking, are curious about this food, which they have never seen before.

…I’m studying cooking, and that’s why I’m here. I’ve seen North Korean dishes on TV, but it’s the first time I see them directly. They look more gorgeous than I thought. When I saw them on TV, I thought they would be rather bland as there were not enough seasonings in them. But the foods displayed here include sweet ones.

…I’m seeing North Korean food for the first time in my life. It looks like South Korean food, but there are differences in some way. Recipes are similar, but the ingredients and cooking methods are a little different.

The Korea Food Tourism Association has been hosting the World Tourism and Food Expo annually since 2000 to raise the global recognition of Korean food. For this year’s showcase, the North Korean Traditional Food Culture Institute presented a variety of North Korean dishes under the theme of “Greet Spring, Greet Unification.” It marked the first occasion that North Korean foods were displayed at an international food fair in South Korea. So, what does the theme, “Greet Spring, Greet Unification,” mean? Let’s listen to Choi Gyeong-eun, researcher at the institute.

This theme urges us to seek unification actively, not just sitting idle and waiting for unification passively. Unification here doesn’t necessarily have a political meaning. South and North Korean should be reunited in culture, too. Food is an important part of culture. For this year’s food fair, we prepared a total of 15 North Korean foods enjoyed in spring time—five dishes representing three North Korean provinces each, such as Hwanghae, Hamgyeong and Pyongan, in the belief that cultural exchanges should lead the unification process.

The food fair introduced rare gourmet foods served in hotels in Pyongyang, rather than popular North Korean dishes many South Koreans are already familiar with. What grabbed the attention of visitors was a mixture of wild greens and soy paste stuffed in pollack. Called “myeongtae sundae” in Korean, this food is usually served for guests in Hamgyeong provinces. Another interesting food is Chilhyang steamed chicken. Legend has it that renowned Admiral Lee Sun-shin ate this food after he defeated Japanese naval forces during the Japanese invasion of Korea in the late 16th century. Here’s another researcher from the institute, Jeong Da-hee.

To make myeongtae sundae, intestines and bones are removed from the fish. Other ingredients, such as a crushed tofu and Pollack flesh and eggs, dried radish greens and rice, are mixed and stuffed in the empty fish. The shape of the fish remains intact even after steamed. Chilhyang steamed chicken is a local specialty in Pyongan Provinces. During the Korea-Japan war in the late 16th century, Admiral Lee Sun-shin gave this health food to his soldiers after the victory against the Japanese forces. You must peel the skin of the chicken carefully, as if taking off your clothes. Then, remove the bones, stuff the chicken with minced chicken flesh, balloon flower roots and ginger, and steam it.

For ostrich stew, another eye-catching North Korean food, beef, vegetables and stirred ostrich egg whites are boiled in an ostrich eggshell. Other North Korean dishes include potato dumplings and umbel kimchi indigenous to Hamgyeong Provinces, particular rice cakes from Gaeseong and Pyongyang, and Haeju bibimbap- mixed rice with vegetables with griddled pork belly on top of it. Compared to South Korean food, North Korean dishes include fewer seasonings, like powdered red pepper. As a result, North Korean food is less pungent and has the fresh taste of natural foods. Here again is researcher Jeong Da-hee.

There has been little variation in North Korean food. It uses simple and natural ingredients and seasonings, and many North Korean dishes preserve the natural taste. The foods are neither too spicy nor too salty, so they can appeal to foreigners. If we develop the North Korean food products to better suit the foreign palates, they will surely be recognized as good food in many countries.

Researchers say it’s important to develop South Korean food in tandem with North Korean dishes in order to promote Korean food the world over. It’s hoped the recent food fair will help the public feel closer to North Korean culture and facilitate the joint research and development of food from both sides of the border.