Despite all Pyongyang’s provocative rhetoric, North Korea is working hard behind the scenes at the same time to try and generate greater tourist revenue.
According to a diplomatic source, North Korea recently dispatched Kim Do Jun, the director of the country’s tourism bureau, to China, where he visited both Beijing and Xian and urged tour operators and tourism officials there to encourage more Chinese civilians to take North Korea tours.
Asked about the safety of tours to the North, Kim is said to have told one such meeting, “War will definitely not break out on the Korean Peninsula so don’t worry.”
Kim also requested that the North Korean flag-carrier, Air Koryo, be permitted to fly to Beijing more regularly. There was agreement, meaning that from April 12th there will be five flights a week instead of the current three. When added to Air China, which operates three flights per week on the same Beijing-Pyongyang route, that will result in a total of eight flights into North Korea every week.
Elsewhere, North Korea has also been in contact with local governments in China to try and expand trade and cooperation links.
In particular, the Chinese media in Jilin Province reports that the area is currently expanding rail and road links to North Korea. This includes the road from Tumen to Onsung and on to Chongjin in North Hamkyung Province.
The Jilin Province administration’s plan is apparently to integrate more closely with Onsung County and thus develop the Sino-North Korean border area into an international tourist destination. The plan has Mt. Baekdu, over which China and North Korea exercise joint sovereignty, at its center.
The source noted, “It seems like the best possible option for North Korea, which is concerned that its international sources of funds could be cut off. The tourism industry brings a lot of foreign currency into North Korea, so they are actively seeking tourists in order to secure more money.”
