Residents in Kosong and Sokcho, Kangwon Province, welcomed the North Korea-Hyundai agreement on the opening of an overland route to Mount Kumgang in expectation of the positive effect the new inter-Korean tour program will have on their regional economy.
The overland tour program has become a hot issue in Kosong county as the region's Unification Observatory is expected to serve as the departure point for the overland tour program.
Residents believe that the new program will spur the growth of Kosong, one of the border regions whose development has been strictly restricted for security reasons.
Although the cruise project almost went bankrupt due to the lack of tourists, Tonghae City, the departure point for the cruise liners, has gained at least $11.67 million dollars in related profits since the program's launch in 1998.
Despite the expected positive effects of the tour program, some people voiced their concern that it could lead to a cut in the number of tourists to Mount Sorak.