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| Masikryong Ski Resort, a pet project of Swiss-educated North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. / Yonhap |
By Yi Whan-woo
Under Kim Jong-un, North Korea has been promoting the country's natural attractions and leisure activities. The campaign is seen as a bid to diversify the origin of international tourists, who are mostly Chinese, and attract more Europeans. But analysts say the North is "seriously mistaken" about its tourism competiveness and strategy.
They say many Westerners would rather come to the reclusive state not to enjoy nature but to take a peek into its highly controlled society.
"Kim must be overestimating the country's tourism if he thinks its mountain resorts are as tourist-friendly as the ones on the Alps," said a North Korean defector who asked to be identified only by his surname Lee.
He argued that North Korea "being exotic, bizarre and outlandish" was what fascinated European tourists.
"A high risk is associated with travelling in North Korea, as seen from those who are detained ― but Kim does not seem to get it," Lee said.
The North's natural attractions, according to the analysts, of course have the potential to be developed to world-class level.
But even if that was the case, the authorities would need to overhaul its tourism policies, under which too many restrictions are placed on foreigners.
"You don't want a tour guide who is keeping an eye on what you do and places restrictions on the areas you can travel to," said An Chan-il, head of the World Institute for North Korea Studies.
Lee voiced a similar view, saying, "Being an open society is a prerequisite to become a global travel destination."
The analysts remained skeptical whether the North was capable of developing a joint tourist complex on Mount Geumgang on its own.
The North asked the South to remove its "unpleasant looking" facilities from the scenic mountain resort or have the facilities demolished.
On Nov. 15, the Korean Central News Agency said the North would develop the area into "a global cultural and tourist area of its own style" and that there was no room for South Korea to cut in.
Pyongyang's move comes after an estimated 200,000 foreigners visited the country.
Chinese account for 90 percent of visitors, and the Kim regime may be hopeful of drawing Chinese investment in tourist attractions nationwide, including Mount Geumgang.
"Still, investing in the North is risky considering the country is under U.N. economic sanctions," An said.
Park Won-gon, an international relations professor at Handong Global University, speculated that Pyongyang's intention to remove South Korean facilities to develop the Mount Geumgang resort would make international investors hesitant.
Hyundai Asan, an inter-Korean business of conglomerate Hyundai Group was given the right to operate the resort for 50 years when the joint tour project began in 1998. Kim Jong-il, Kim Jong-un's father, was in power at the time.
"Who would want to work with an unreliable partner who ignores a contract and goes ahead with whatever they please?" Park said.
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