The unauthorized demolition of South Korean facilities at the Mount Kumgang tourism area and Kosong Port in Kangwon Province, which is part of North Korea’s plan to rebuild those facilities from scratch, appears to have stalled. While workers started dismantling the South Korean facilities on orders from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who visited the site in late October 2019, little has been done over the past five years.
Shortly after the U.S. and North Korea broke off talks following their summit in Hanoi in February 2019, Kim abruptly ordered the destruction of South Korean buildings at the Mount Kumgang resort that he described as “eyesores” so that the facilities could be rebuilt in the North Korean style.
A recent examination of the Mount Kumgang resort using color images from the Maxar GeoEye-1 satellite (with a resolution of 40 centimeters) show that the Hyundai-Asan fueling stations and other dock facilities at Kosong Port, including the immigration office, have all been pulled down, with only ruins remaining.
Kuryong Village, Onjonggak Rest House and Ananti Golf and Spa Resort are nowhere to be seen and were evidently torn down as well. Of the two structures built by the South Korean government, only the Asan Family Reunion Center, a 12-story hotel, remains intact, while the two-story fire department has been completely demolished, with the lot currently lying empty, as South Korea’s Ministry of Unification has officially acknowledged.
Demolition of Onjonggak Rest House and Kuryong Village
The 190 or so villas in Kuryong Village, which were used to accommodate tourists to Mount Kumgang, have been torn down, and where they stood is now an empty field. The round dome of the Culture Center, where a “socialist-style circus” once performed, is now missing its roof, leaving the stage and seats open to the sky and exposed to the wind and the rain. The eastern building of the Onjonggak Rest House and the western building that had housed the duty-free store have both been demolished, along with the Mount Kumgang Hospital, with only ruins remaining to show where they once stood.
Fire department torn down despite being South Korean government asset
The fire department (two floors and one basement), which had been in front of the Asan Family Reunion Center, was recently torn down completely. The fire department had been built by the South Korean government as a precaution against fires and to help respond to any accidents involving visitors to Mount Kumgang. Along with the Asan Family Reunion Center, the fire department was one of two South Korean government assets at the resort; following the unauthorized demolition of the fire department, the family union center is the only surviving government asset.
The Asan Family Reunion Center, a hotel (consisting of 12 floors and one basement) that had been used to host unions of families divided by the Korean War, is still standing, although the open area in front of it is cluttered with various debris and prefabricated structures moved over during the demolition of Kuryong Village. A total of four reunions of the divided families were held at the reunion center, but it has been basically abandoned since the flow of tourists dried up when North Korea closed its national borders because of COVID-19.
About 30 prefabricated accommodations that were moved from Kuryong Village are lined up along fences in front of and behind the family reunion center. These structures are presumably intended for future use. There were originally 190 units at Kuryong Village, but it is unclear what happened to the other 160 units.
Fueling station and golf resort removed as well
The fueling stations near Kosong Port where Hyundai-Asan serviced Mount Kumgang tourist buses, work vehicles and various facilities have all been removed, and the plaza that used to house a gas station is now vacant as well. Only traces remain of various demolished ancillary facilities in the area, including a Hyundai-Asan dormitory.
Additionally, ten buildings in the Ananti Golf and Spa Resort, including the management annex and the condo building, have been bulldozed. The clubhouse (which contained the reception, the meeting rooms, the spa and the fitness center) still looks whole, presumably because the building has been slated to be repurposed.
While the North Korean authorities are planning to clear away all the South Korean facilities at the Mount Kumgang resort and rebuild it along North Korean lines to host Chinese tourists, the demolition work on the South Korean facilities is incomplete, and the construction of new buildings has not even begun.
North Korea has not completely reopened its borders after the COVID-19 pandemic, and its economy faces considerable difficulties because of international sanctions. Barring some form of external investment or support, North Korea will likely face various challenges, and need a considerable period of time, to redevelop the Mount Kumgang resort area on its own, and using its own resources, given chronic shortages of materials and funds.
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May 22, 2024 at 12:30PM
by DailyNK(North Korean Media)