South Korean tourists will likely be allowed to drive to North Korea's Mount Geumgang resort in their own cars within this year.

Hyundai Asan President Kim Yoon-kyu said that travel by car will be allowed under a new set of regulations governing the Mount Geumgang tourist zone adopted by the North Korean government. He added that such travel would be realized at year's end once parking lot facilities at the mountain resort are expanded.

Hyundai Asan is the main operator of the Mount Geumgang tour program as well as other key inter-Korean economic cooperation projects.

Kim made the remarks Tuesday at the scenic mountain resort where he arrived earlier in the day, leading a group of some 270 South Korean tourists for a one-day overland pilot tour.

The tour was organized in celebration of the 4th anniversary of the historic June 15th, 2000 inter-Korean summit.

Kim noted that his firm is also considering selling tourist packages in which tourists would travel to Mount Geumgang via the East Sea. He added that basic agreements have been reached with the North on launching overland tour programs for the Gaesong Industrial Complex around the end of the year, when South Korean firms are slated to finish building their plants in the industrial park.