N. Korea sends South ultimatum of “unilaterally” demolishing Mt. Kumgang facilities

An image of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un providing on-the-spot guidance at Mt. Kumgang tourist facilities released by the Korean Central News Agency on Oct. 23.

KCNA article explicitly tells Seoul it has no right to be involved in Mt. Kumgang tourism

An image of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un providing on-the-spot guidance at Mt. Kumgang tourist facilities released by the Korean Central News Agency on Oct. 23.

On Nov. 15, North Korea revealed through its Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) revealed that it sent an ultimatum to South Korea on Nov. 11 in a reaffirmation of its demands for South Korean facilities at Mt. Kumgang to be demolished, warning that ”if the South Korean authorities persist in their useless assertion, we will take it as an abandonment of the withdrawal, and take resolute measure for unilaterally pulling down the facilities.” Up until now, the North had adopted the stance of demolishing the facilities under cooperation with the South. This is the first time Pyongyang has mentioned a unilateral demolition.

In a Nov. 15 article titled “Mt Kumgang Is Not Common Property of North and South,” the KCNA announced that Pyongyang sent Seoul the aforementioned “ultimatum” on Nov. 11, but that the South has “remained answerless until today.” Although the article is not clearly attributed to any government organization or official, it proclaims, “We will develop Mt. Kumgang to be the world renowned tourist resort with responsibility and in our own way as its owner for the sake of the nation and posterity,” concluding with the statement, “There is no room for south Korea to find its place there.”

The “useless assertion” refers to the South Korean government’s calls for dialogue after North Korea notified the Ministry of Unification (MOU) and Hyundai Asan (owner of Mt. Kumgang’s South Korean facilities) of its plans to demolish the facilities. The article accused the South of using “senseless words like ‘initiative method’ and ‘proposal of technical talks,’” adding “it seemed that they [South Korea] did not understand clearly what we asked.” The article continues by saying North Korea notified the South of their “fixed intention” on Oct. 29 and again on Nov. 6.

“We made clear our stand in mother tongue, but the South Korean authorities pretended ignorance, uttering ‘in-depth discussion’ and ‘necessity of visit by a joint inspection team,’” the article said.

The KCNA piece says Pyongyang offered Seoul “enough time and opportunities, enduring huge losses on our side,” but that “when we showed the magnanimity out of compatriotic feelings of allowing the resumption of the tour of Mt. Kumgang without any precondition and in return for nothing, they remained retracted while reading this face and that face. Now they are faced a bolt from the blue. It's like raising an axe to bring it down on its own feet.”

The piece concludes that “the issue of the development of Mt Kumgang tourist area is never an issue to be interfered in by the South Korean authorities,” demanding Seoul’s acceptance of Pyongyang’s unilateral demolition.

By Noh Ji-won, staff reporter

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