Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul on Thursday met with the heads of South Korean operators of the suspended Mount Geumgang tour program to discuss North Korea's demand that the operators' facilities be removed from the resort.

It was Kim's first meeting with representatives from tour operator Hyundai Asan and the state-run Korean Tourism Organization(KTO) since North Korean leader Kim Jong-un ordered the facilities' demolition last week.

It also came days after Pyongyang rejected Seoul's offer to hold talks to discuss the matter.

At the meeting, Kim said the government and the involved parties should share information and gather wisdom to jointly seek a resolution as they face a grave situation.

Hyundai Asan, which asked Seoul to prioritize the protection of South Korean assets at Mount Geumgang, told reporters after the meeting that various comprehensive measures are being considered with the government.

The operator dismissed Pyongyang's offer to discuss the matter in writing, adding it would have to visit the resort before deciding on the removal of facilities.

Seoul suspended tours to Mount Geumgang, which lies just north of the inter-Korean border on the east coast of the Korean Peninsula, in 2008 following the shooting death of a South Korean tourist by a North Korean soldier.

[Photo : YONHAP News]