North Korea Dismantling 'Geumgangsan Haegumgang Hotel' Formerly Operated by Hyundai Asan

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Yoon-joo] It has been reported that North Korea has begun dismantling some South Korean facilities in Geumgangsan, with signs detected that the Haegumgang Hotel is being taken down.

VOA (Voice of America) broadcast analyzed this based on satellite images of the Geumgangsan area taken from the 5th to the 9th by the satellite imaging service 'Planet Labs' on the 12th.

The photos show that from the 6th, the rooftop area to the right of the Haegumgang Hotel appeared darker, as if a hole had been made, differing from the previous day. Additionally, heavy equipment seemed to be positioned on the land area right in front of the hotel.

On the previous day, government and military sources confirmed to reporters that there were signs of dismantling South Korean facilities in Geumgangsan, but the exact facilities were not disclosed; this movement was observed at the Haegumgang Hotel.

Earlier, in October 2019, during an inspection of Geumgangsan, Chairman Kim Jong-un instructed, "Remove all the shabby South Korean facilities that make one feel unpleasant just by looking at them," and showed signs of initiating actual dismantling.

However, when the COVID-19 situation arose, North Korea notified the South in January 2020 that dismantling would be postponed due to the pandemic, but recently started dismantling work without any consultation or notification.

Chairman Kim urged at the 8th Party Congress last January to reconstruct the Geumgangsan area in a "Korean style" as part of a five-year plan.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.