April 18, 2024
Columns

Party like it’s 1998: how South Korean tourism to Mount Kumgang got started

The story of how South Korea's leading dissident and a chaebol tycoon launched the historic inter-Korean project

Why does Mount Kumgang matter? And why is a lapsed tourism project, once the emblem par excellence of inter-Korean cooperation, now a source of strife between the two Koreas?

This article is the third – or perhaps 2.5th – in a series. You might want to read the other two before this one, if you haven’t already done so, for a better sense of the overall picture.

Become a member for less than $4 per week.

  • Unlimited access to all of NK News: reporting, investigations, analysis
  • The NK News Daily Update, an email newsletter to keep you in the loop
  • Searchable archive of all content, photo galleries, special columns
  • Contact NK News reporters with tips or requests for reporting
Get unlimited access to all NK News content, including original reporting, investigations, and analyses by our team of DPRK experts.
Subscribe now

All major cards accepted. No commitments – you can cancel any time.