A Chinese tourism delegation has arrived in North Korea, Pyongyang's state media said Saturday, amid the North's efforts to revitalize a stalled tour program to a scenic mountain that once served as its key cash cow.
The trip comes weeks after the North announced a law designed to develop Mt. Geumgang as a special zone for international tours.
It marked the first time Chinese have traveled to North Korea through a newly opened air route between Pyongyang and the Chinese economic powerhouse of Shanghai, the North's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.
The delegation, led by a senior Communist Party official handling tourism on the scenic mountain, arrived on Friday, the KCNA said, an indication that the North will try to attract Chinese tourists to the mountain resort.
The Chinese tourists from Shanghai plan to tour monuments in Pyongyang, the border village of Panmunjeom that separates the two Koreas and the mountain resort on the east coast before returning home Tuesday, the KCNA said.
"An increasing number of Chinese people are expected to come for sightseeing in Mt. Geumgang and other tourist attractions," the KCNA quoted Jo Song-gyu, director of the Korean International Travel Company, as saying.
The development comes amid a looming dispute between South and North Korea over South Korean assets seized at the mountain resort.
The North has threatened to dispose of the assets unless South Korean company officials visit the resort by July 13 with plans on how to handle their assets, which are estimated to be worth 300 billion won ($278 million).
South Korea has vowed to protect the property rights of South Korean firms, but indicated it will not allow company officials to visit North Korea over their seized assets.
Seoul suspended the joint tour program to the mountain resort following the shooting death of a female tourist near the resort in 2008. (Yonhap)

中관광객 평양-상하이 노선 여객기로 첫 방북
중국 상하이 관광단이 1일 비행기로 평양에 도착했다고 조선중앙통신이 2일 보도했다.
중국인들이 이달 개설된 평양-상하이 직항노선을 통해 북한 관광에 나서기는 처음이다.
북한은 중국 관광객을 유치하려고 이 노선을 개통했고 매주 화요일과 금요일 두 차례 운항할 예정이다.
시천흥 상하이금강관광공사 당서기가 이끄는 상하이관광단은 4박5일 일정으로 평양의 기념물과 묘향산의 국제친선전람관, 판문점 등을 참관하고 금강산과 개성지구의 역사유적을 둘러볼 예정이라고 중앙통신이 전했다.
조성규 조선국제여행사 사장은 중앙통신과 인터뷰에서 "앞으로 금강산 등 조선의 관광명소에 대한 중국인들의 관광이 더욱 활발해질 전망"이라고 말했다. (연합뉴스)