A proposal has emerged to promote tourism connecting South Korea’s Sokcho with North Korea’s Wonsan, encompassing the Sokcho-Wonsan-Mount Kumgang route.
During a seminar at the National Assembly on Wednesday, Baek Cheon-ho, an executive at Hyundai Asan, suggested that if it pursues maritime tourism linking Sokcho, Wonsan, and Mount Kumgang, it could prioritize tourism associated with Mount Kumgang, which was part of the inter-Korean cooperation zone Hyundai previously managed.
The plan envisions utilizing sea routes, given the current disruption of inter-Korean road connections and the challenging road conditions between Mount Kumgang and Wonsan. Baek explained that travelers could reach Wonsan from Sokcho by ferry in about three hours.
He added that by making Wonsan a tourism hub, it could offer 2-night, 3-day or 3-night, 4-day tour packages. Depending on future developments, it should consider local investments and the resumption of overland tourism.
Baek continued that if sanctions are eased through renewed dialogue between North Korea and the U.S. or inter-Korean talks, it’ll need to repair connecting roads and tourism facilities at Mount Kumgang. Once it has a stable foundation, it can reopen overland tourism and even facilitate large-scale tourism using roads and railways, just like before.
Hyundai Asan has previously led inter-Korean cooperation initiatives, including the Mount Kumgang tourism project and tourism in Kaesong.
Meanwhile, the Hope for Tomorrow Association announced plans to promote Overseas Koreans’ Wonsan Galma Travel and will hold an international briefing in Vladivostok, Russia, this August. The target audience includes overseas Koreans with Russian nationality, aiming to facilitate their visits to North Korea and establish a cooperative framework.
They expressed that with South Korean passport holders facing restrictions on visiting North Korea, it hopes that overseas Koreans, who encounter fewer legal constraints, can serve as bridges for peace.
The initiative will also promote tourism for overseas Koreans from various countries, including Kazakhstan and New Zealand.
Last year, North Korea opened the large-scale resort complex known as the Wonsan Kalma Coastal Tourist Zone and launched an extensive promotional campaign. Although some Russian tourists visited afterward, tourism is currently suspended. This tourist zone reportedly has the capacity to accommodate up to 20,000 guests at once.
Earlier, the Ministry of Unification also revealed plans to promote International Wonsan Galma Peace Tourism during a report last month. The ministry proposed a three-phase approach: individual tourism for overseas Koreans, transit tourism among South Korea, North Korea, and China, and finally, tourism for South Korean citizens. The ultimate goal is for South Koreans to travel by ferry from Sokcho directly to Wonsan for tourism.