North Korea has been systematically dismantling South Korean facilities in the Mount Kumgang tourist area since 2022. Recent satellite imagery shows the ongoing demolition of the separated family reunion center, suggesting a comprehensive removal of South Korean-built infrastructure.
Satellite images from September 26, updated by Google Earth on Sunday, show extensive demolition at the reunion center in Onjeong-ri, Gangwon Province. The facility, once used for reunions between separated North and South Korean families, has had its roof, exterior walls, and several auxiliary buildings either damaged or removed.
The imagery shows the complete removal of the roof from the twin 12-story buildings of the reunion center, exposing the interior. Much of the peach-colored exterior has also been stripped away. The South Korean-built fire station, which disappeared in April last year, is now an empty lot.
The three-story administrative building on the north side of the reunion center has been largely demolished, with only fragments remaining. Demolition is also ongoing at South Korea’s former office building and surrounding security facilities.
Kumgangsan Youth Station, the railway hub linked to the Mount Kumgang tourist zone, now stands roofless with only its concrete frame visible in recent satellite imagery. The Mount Kumgang Hot Springs facility, constructed by Hyundai Asan and managed by the Korea Tourism Organization, saw its main structures demolished last year.
In October 2019, Kim Jong Un, Chairman of the Workers’ Party, visited the area and ordered the removal of what he called “shabby” South Korean facilities. Following his directive and amid the COVID-19 pandemic, North Korea began systematically dismantling South Korean-owned structures in 2022. This included the Haegumgang Hotel, the Mount Kumgang Cultural Center, and other Hyundai Asan properties.
The Ananti Group’s Mount Kumgang golf course and resort have also been razed. The company announced in 2022 that it would terminate its Mount Kumgang operations and forfeit its assets in the area.
Notably, North Korea has preserved its own facilities, including the Mount Kumgang Hotel, Kumgangwon, the Oekumgang Hotel, and the Mount Kumgang branch of the Okryu Restaurant.
Intelligence assessments suggest North Korea plans to independently redevelop the Mount Kumgang region, potentially linking it with the recently opened Wonsan-Kalma Coastal Tourist Area, the country’s largest resort district. Analysts believe construction on a new North Korean resort in the Mount Kumgang area may begin next year, as Pyongyang continues to promote tourism development nationwide.