South Korea is looking at various ways to improve relations with North Korea, a Unification Ministry spokesperson said on Monday, after local media reported that Seoul was considering allowing individual tours to the North.
Koo Byung-sam, spokesperson for the ministry handling inter-Korean affairs, declined to comment on “a particular issue” but said individual tours were not considered a violation of international sanctions.
Tourism is one of the few legal sources of foreign currency for North Korea, which is under United Nations sanctions over its nuclear and weapons programmes.
President Lee Jae Myung has pledged to improve relations with Pyongyang, which are at their lowest point in years.
Lee has recently suspended anti-North Korea loudspeaker broadcasts along the border and ordered the suspension of leaflet campaigns by activists criticising the North’s leadership.
North Korea last week opened a beach resort in Wonsan, a flagship tourism project promoted by leader Kim Jong Un, but it is not currently accepting foreign visitors, according to a 16 July notice from DPR Korea Tour, run by the North’s National Tourism Administration.
Asked whether South Koreans could travel to Wonsan, Koo said the North would first need to open the site to foreign visitors.
Seoul previously operated tours to the North’s Mount Kumgang resort, but they were suspended in 2008 after a South Korean tourist was shot dead by a North Korean soldier.
The World Urban Forum (WUF13) continues in Baku, Azerbaijan on 18 May, addressing the global housing crisis. The day’s agenda includes the of...
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday he had paused a planned attack on Iran after appeals from the leaders of Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the Uni...
At least four people have been killed in protests across Kenya over sharp fuel price rises, as a nationwide transport strike brought parts of the c...
Pakistan has deployed around 8,000 troops, fighter jets and air defence systems to Saudi Arabia under a mutual defence agreement, according to secu...
Global leaders gathered in Baku this week for the 13th session of the World Urban Forum, where heads of state and senior officials warned that rapi...
Pakistan has deployed around 8,000 troops, fighter jets and air defence systems to Saudi Arabia under a mutual defence agreement, according to security officials and government sources familiar with the arrangement.
Global leaders gathered in Baku this week for the 13th session of the World Urban Forum, where heads of state and senior officials warned that rapid urban growth is placing increasing pressure on housing, infrastructure and climate resilience.
The thirteenth session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) has opened in Baku, bringing together governments, international organisations, city leaders and civil society to address mounting global urban challenges.
Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan are negotiating summer water allocations as rising temperatures, agricultural demand and pressure on shared rivers intensify water security concerns across Central Asia.
Bulgaria has won the Eurovision Song Contest for the first time, taking victory in a final overshadowed by a boycott over Israel’s participation and the war in Gaza.
The World Urban Forum (WUF13) continues in Baku, Azerbaijan on 18 May, addressing the global housing crisis. The day’s agenda includes the official opening press conference, the WUF13 Urban Expo opening and a ministerial dialogue on the Nairobi Declaration to advance Africa's urban agenda.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday he had paused a planned attack on Iran after appeals from the leaders of Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, allowing negotiations to continue over a possible deal to end the conflict.
U.S. President Donald Trump says China's Xi Jinping agreed Iran must reopen the Strait of Hormuz, as Tehran prepares a new shipping mechanism. Tensions over the U.S. blockade and stalled nuclear talks continue to disrupt global oil supplies.
A 5.2 magnitude earthquake struck China’s Guangxi region early on Monday, killing two people and forcing more than 7,000 residents in Liuzhou to evacuate as rescue efforts continued.
Pakistan has deployed around 8,000 troops, fighter jets and air defence systems to Saudi Arabia under a mutual defence agreement, according to security officials and government sources familiar with the arrangement.
Uzbekistan has reported new fraud cases linked to employment in South Korea as investigators continue examining a wider migration corruption scheme estimated to have caused up to $90 million in losses.
When 36 nations signed up to prosecute Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, Georgia - a country partly occupied by Russia - declined to join. Tbilisi blamed strained relations with the EU. Critics blamed the government itself.
Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan are negotiating summer water allocations as rising temperatures, agricultural demand and pressure on shared rivers intensify water security concerns across Central Asia.
A new documentary by AnewZ Investigations titled 'Target Yerevan' is set to premiere in Baku soon, examining allegations surrounding former International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo, Armenian lobbying networks, and wider political influence campaigns.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
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