North Korea Completely Dismantles Haegumgang Hotel, the Symbol of Geumgangsan Tourism

Disassembly Work Begins from March... Last Debris Disappears
South Side Facilities at Geumgangsan Dismantled One After Another Following Kim Jong Un's Orders

[Asia Economy Reporter Jang Hee-jun] It has been confirmed that North Korea, after repeatedly dismantling South Korean facilities within the Mount Kumgang tourism zone this year, has completely demolished the 'Haegumgang Hotel,' which was used as accommodation for South Korean tourists.

Voice of America (VOA) reported on the 23rd that, based on satellite image analysis, the last remains of the Haegumgang Hotel's lower support structure have disappeared.

North Korea began dismantling the Haegumgang Hotel in March this year and demolished a significant portion of the building. However, the lower support structure had been left with some debris, but in the recent satellite images, this structure was moved to Tongcheon Port, about 37 km away.

The Haegumgang Hotel was owned by Hyundai Asan and was mainly used by South Korean tourists visiting Mount Kumgang in the past. However, after the suspension of Mount Kumgang tourism in 2008, it was left abandoned for over ten years and has now been demolished.

Earlier, North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong-un inspected Mount Kumgang in October 2019 and instructed, "Remove all the shabby South Korean facilities that make one feel unpleasant just by looking at them."

Subsequently, signs of dismantling the Haegumgang Hotel were first detected in March, and in April, eight accommodation buildings at the Mount Kumgang golf course operated by the South Korean resort company Ananti were dismantled. Additionally, from August, movements presumed to be dismantling were observed at the South Korean government-owned separated families reunion center, Onjeonggak, Guryong Village, and Kumgang Pension Town.

The most recently dismantled South Korean facility identified is the Goseong Port sashimi restaurant building within the Mount Kumgang tourism zone. When satellite images confirmed that the demolition was completed around mid-October, the Ministry of Unification stated, "This is an illegal infringement on our property rights and a clear violation of inter-Korean agreements."

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