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| KIM JONG IL MEETS WITH HYUNDAI CHIEF |
| Posted Date : 2009-08-24 (NK Brief No. 09-8-24-1) |
Hyundai Group chairwoman Hyun Jung-eun has returned from her trip to North Korea and subsequent audience with North Korean leader Kim Jong Il with a series of agreements that could have the potential to restart inter-Korean cooperation. According to an agreement reached by Hyun and Kim, North Korea is prepared to restart Mount Keumgang tourism, restore overland passage and sojourn regulations to their former status, begin tours to Mount Baekdu, and hold separated-family reunions at Mount Keumgang this upcoming Chuseok holiday.
Following the meeting between Kim and Hyun, Hyundai and the North Korean organization in charge of inter-Korean economic cooperation, Korea Asia-Pacific Peace Committee (Chaired by Kim Yang-Keon) announced in a joint statement released on August 17 that the two would push forward with the five projects.
Regarding the restart of sightseeing trips to Mount Keumgang, the joint statement emphasized that, Kim Jong Il himself had ordered that every convenience and safety measure necessary for tourism would be completely guaranteed, and that tours would be expanded to include sightseeing trips to Biro Peak, the highest peak on Mount Keumgang.
It was also agreed the Gyeongui and Donghae passages across the DMZ and sojourns in the North, which were restricted by last year’s December 1 Measure, would be fully restored to their original state in accordance with the October 4 Declaration, and bottlenecks in and out of the Kaesong Industrial Complex caused by travel restrictions would be eased. As the agreement called for actively moving forward with growth of the KIC, it appears highly likely that there will be a resolution to North Korea’s new demands for increases in land rent and DPRK workers’ wages, currently being negotiated by North and South Korean officials through working-level talks.
The joint statement also revealed that Hyundai will begin tourism to Mount Baekdu as soon as preliminary preparations can be completed, and that the North will hold a reunion for the North and South’s scattered families and relatives. Whether the South Korean government will agree to such a meeting has yet to be seen. Finally, the joint statement closed with both parties acknowledging the importance of the June 15 Joint Declaration and the October 4 Declaration, and expressing the will to pursue cooperative economic projects and restore inter-Korean relations
On August 17, (North) Korean Central Broadcasting reported the contents of the joint statement as follows:
Kim Jong Il, chairman of the DPRK National Defense Commission, on August 16 granted a long audience to and had a cordial talk with [Hyun Jung-eun], chairperson of the Hyundai Group, and her party on a visit to Pyongyang, and complied with all her requests.
Accordingly, the Korea Asia-Pacific Peace Committee and the Hyundai Group will execute as follows:
1. It was decided to resume the suspended tourism of Mt. Kumgang as soon as possible and launch the tour of Pirobong, the highest peak in the mountain.
All necessary facilities and security for tourism will be reliably provided according to the special measure taken by Kim Jong Il, chairman of the National Defence Commission.
2. It was decided to restore land passage of the south side''s personnel through the Military Demarcation Line and their stay in the north side''s area as they were according to the spirit of the historic October 4 declaration.
3. It was decided to resume the tourism of Kaesong soon and energize the operation of the Kaesong Industrial Zone as the land passage through MDL is put on a normal basis.
4. The Hyundai Group decided to begin tourism of Mt. Paektu in accordance with the progress of its preparations.
5. It was decided to provide reunion of separated families and relatives from the north and the south in Mt. Kumgang on the day of Chusok (harvest moon day), a folk holiday of the Korean nation, this year.
Both sides expressed will to improve the north-south relations and further develop the cooperation for the common prosperity of the nation under the historic June 15 joint declaration and the October 4 declaration.
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