An association of South Korean firms that invested in the long-suspended tour program to North Korea's scenic Geumgang Mountain has urged the government to push for legislation so they can receive compensation for losses they have sustained.

In a news conference Friday marking the 12th anniversary of the suspension, the association said that ever since government sanctions on North Korea were imposed in May 2010, side effects have followed. 

These include strained inter-Korean relations and the bankruptcy of companies involved in cross-border economic cooperation.

The firms said the government should apologize to the affected businesses, seek legislation on compensation and provide preemptive support measures. They also called for an explanation on what led to the suspension.

A think tank dedicated to cross-border cooperation issues also attended the press conference and issued a statement acknowledging current restrictions placed by global sanctions on Pyongyang. However, it urged the government to discover areas where exchanges are possible. The think tank cited humanitarian aid, family reunions, tourism and forestry cooperation as new areas of potential cross-border exchanges.

Launched in 1998, tours to the North's Geumgang resort were suspended in 2008 after a South Korean tourist was shot and killed there by North Korean soldiers.