South Korea Contemplates Allowing Individual Travel to N. Korea
(MENAFN) South Korea is exploring the possibility of allowing individual travelers to visit North Korea, part of President Lee Jae-myung’s broader strategy to restore fragile relations between the two Koreas.
"The government is reviewing and implementing its North Korea policy with the aim of easing tensions on the Korean Peninsula and improving inter-Korean relations. Various measures are under review as part of this process," stated Koo Byung-sam, spokesperson for South Korea’s Ministry of Unification, as reported by media.
Koo responded to a local report that the tourism proposal was discussed at a recent National Security Council meeting chaired by President Lee. He did not deny or confirm any specific steps related to the plan.
The presidential office confirmed that "various plans are under review to improve inter-Korean relations" but declined to share further details.
South Korean tourism to North Korea has been suspended since 2008, following the fatal shooting of a South Korean tourist by a North Korean soldier at Mount Geumgang. Efforts to revive the program have repeatedly stalled.
Tourism remains one of the few sectors in North Korea not restricted by United Nations Security Council sanctions. Officials in Seoul argue that individual travel would comply with international sanctions since it avoids direct financial transactions or cash transfers.
President Lee’s initiative to promote tourism is consistent with his wider agenda to reengage Pyongyang and reduce tensions on the peninsula. Within his first month in office, Lee reversed several of his predecessor Yoon Suk Yeol’s hardline policies, including stopping loudspeaker broadcasts and discouraging leaflet drops.
Cho Han-bum, senior researcher at the Korea Institute for National Unification, commented that North Korea might be receptive to Seoul’s tourism proposal given its “urgent need of foreign currency” and because tourism is “not restricted under current international sanctions.”
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