The Unification Ministry Tuesday vowed efforts to begin construction of a cross-border overland route to Mount Kumgang as early as possible through talks with North Korean officials due in July.
In a report to the parliamentary Unification, Foreign Affairs and Trade Committee, the ministry said Hyundai remitted overdue payment of US$2.2 million to the North on July 2 and will send June's monthly fee according to the number of people who visited the tourist spot as agreed with the North last month.
Regarding recent developments in North Korea, the ministry reported that Chairman Kim Jong-il of the National Defense Commission (NDC) led high-ranking military officials in a visit to the Kumsusan Memorial Palace on July 8 to mark the 7th anniversary of his father Kim Il-sung's death.