A newspaper published by a North Korean organization in Japan says North Korea appears ready to open a Mount Geumgang tour program for foreign tourists in early August.

The Choson Sinbo interviewed North Korean tourism bureau official Kim Yong-il, who said that foreign tourists who fly into North Korea to visit Mount Geumgang will start the tour in Pyongyang and will have accommodations in Wonsan.

Kim said that a three-day tour is being planned and that once technical details are resolved, a tour of three key Geumgang destinations will be developed.

The three destinations are the same that had been visited by foreign tourists when tours to Geumgang were operated by Hyundai Asan, triggering concerns about a dispute on business rights with the South Korean firm.

Tours from South Korea to Geumgang were halted following the shooting death of a South Korean tourist by a North Korean soldier at the mountain resort in 2008.