It's been a trying year for Hyundai Asan, the South Korean operator of tour programs to North Korea’s tourist attractions.

The company has had to adopt emergency managerial measures, including increasing the number of staffers working at home after its tour programs to the North’s Mount Geumgang resort were halted five months ago. The stoppage came after a South Korean tourist was shot and killed by a North Korean soldier at the resort in July.

With tour programs in limbo, the company has been unable to draw up business plans for 2009.

Making matters worse, Hyundai Asan had to halt its tour programs to another North Korean tourist attraction, Gaeseong, earlier this month.

The company said the suspensions have reduced its sales to 200 billion won, two thirds of last year's.

Hyundai Asan requested government financial support earlier this month to compensate for the losses.