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.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Saturday (17 January) that concerns over security in Greenland should be addressed within the framework ...
Elon Musk is seeking up to $134 billion from OpenAI and Microsoft, arguing that the companies profited unfairly from his early support of the artifici...
The European Union has called an emergency meeting of its ambassadors after U.S. President Donald Trump vowed to impose escalating tariffs on European...
The European Union and South American bloc Mercosur have signed a long-awaited free trade agreement in Paraguay, opening the way for what would become...
Syrian government forces have moved into the northern towns of Deir Hafer and Maskana as Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) withdraw, amid ren...
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Saturday (17 January) that concerns over security in Greenland should be addressed within the framework of NATO, describing a ground military intervention as highly unlikely.
Elon Musk is seeking up to $134 billion from OpenAI and Microsoft, arguing that the companies profited unfairly from his early support of the artificial intelligence firm, according to a court filing made public on Friday.
The European Union has called an emergency meeting of its ambassadors after U.S. President Donald Trump vowed to impose escalating tariffs on European allies unless the United States is allowed to buy Greenland.
The European Union and South American bloc Mercosur have signed a long-awaited free trade agreement in Paraguay, opening the way for what would become the EU’s largest-ever trade deal.
A railway power outage in Tokyo disrupted the morning commute for roughly 673,000 passengers on Friday (16 January) as two main lines with some of the world's busiest stations were halted after reports of a fire.
The Turkish Defence Ministry has voiced its support for recent military operations by Syrian government forces against the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which enjoy the support of the United States.
Tens of thousands of users were left unable to access Elon Musk’s social media platform X on Friday, with outages reported across multiple countries including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia.
Armenia has reaffirmed that it has no intention of taking any actions directed against Iran, with senior officials stressing that relations with Tehran remain friendly and constructive.
Russian President Vladimir Putin held separate calls with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on 16 January, offering Russia’s help to mediate tensions and promote dialogue in the Middle East.
Syrian government forces have moved into the northern towns of Deir Hafer and Maskana as Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) withdraw, amid renewed clashes and accusations that withdrawal terms were violated.
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has signed a decree aimed at safeguarding the rights of Kurds, including recognition of their language and citizenship restoration, as clashes persist between US-backed Kurdish forces and government troops.
Syrian troops swept through dozens of towns and villages in the country's north on Saturday after Kurdish fighters withdrew under an agreement that aimed to avoid a bloody showdown between the rival forces.
Fitch Ratings, one of the world’s three major credit rating agencies, says the start of trade and economic relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan could improve Armenia’s economic prospects, citing reduced geopolitical risks following recent steps towards peace.
The Regional Environmental Summit 2026 will be held in Astana from 22-24 April, bringing together Central Asian countries to strengthen regional dialogue on climate and environmental challenges.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment