Pilot tours to North Korea’s border city of Gaesong will begin next week.

Hyundai Asan, the main operator of the tourism project, said Thursday that after negotiations with the North, it decided to conduct test tours on three occasions - next Friday and September 2nd and 7th.

The tour will involve a one-day excursion with five-hundred tourists and cost around 200-thousand won per person.

A Hyundai Asan official said the firm is planning to immediately launch official tours to the ancient capital of the Goryeo Dynasty if no problems arise during the pilot tours.

Last month, Hyundai Group Chairwoman Hyun Jung-eun made a six-day visit to Pyongyang and met with North Korean leader Kim Jong-il.

During the talks, Kim gave Hyundai permission to conduct tours around Gaesong and Mt. Baekdu.