Recent reports indicate that North Korea has entered the final stages of dismantling facilities in the Mount Kumgang tourist area, but no signs of redevelopment have been observed yet.
38North, a specialized North Korea media outlet under the U.S. Stimson Center, analyzed satellite images captured by the Pleiades near-Earth object (NEO) satellite operated by European aerospace company Airbus. They concluded that while the demolition of South Korean facilities in North Korea’s Mount Kumgang area continues, the pace of dismantling is not rapid.
Satellite images taken on July 5 reveal that the clubhouse building of the Ananti golf course, a South Korean facility within the Mount Kumgang tourist area, has been reduced to a bare skeletal structure.
Kim Jong Un, the General Secretary of North Korea’s Workers’ Party, visited Mount Kumgang in October 2019, following the collapse of the North Korea-U.S. summit in Hanoi that February. He ordered the removal of the “shabby” South Korean facilities, stating they were unpleasant to look at. This move reflected his displeasure with what he perceived as a symbol of dependence on South Korea, a sentiment dating back to the era of his father, Kim Jong Il.
Subsequently, in 2022, amid deteriorating inter-Korean relations, North Korea unilaterally began demolishing South Korean facilities at Mount Kumgang. The Hotel Haegumgang, the Mount Kumgang Cultural Center, and the East and West Onjeonggak buildings, all owned by Hyundai Asan, were dismantled in succession. In April of last year, they also removed the fire station, a South Korean government asset.
The last remaining South Korean asset, the Inter-Korean Family Reunions Center, was confirmed to be under demolition as of February. Satellite images taken on July 5 also captured debris scattered across the site of the reunion center.
North Korea appears to be planning to redevelop the Mount Kumgang tourist area into a tourist resource on its terms. They recently unveiled the Kalma-Wonsan tourist zone in Wonsan, Gangwon Province, indicating that it will be linked to Mount Kumgang.
However, 38North reported that while Kim Jong Un may have plans to redevelop the area as a domestic tourist destination, there are currently no visible signs of such developments.
Meanwhile, Mount Kumgang is likely to be inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site during the 47th session of the World Heritage Committee that began on Sunday. UNESCO heritage status signifies global recognition of a site’s value for protection and preservation. This designation could potentially provide North Korea with a basis to actively promote tourism in Mount Kumgang.