Mt. Geumgang or Diamond Mountain in North Korea
South Korea is unwilling to give up its tourism project under way at North Korea's Mount Geumgang despite some concerns that the inter-Korean project may undermine international efforts to terminate the North's nuclear weapons program, Yonhap News quoted a top aide to South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun as having indicated on Oct. 18.
Song Min-soon, chief presidential secretary for security, said the government will consider implementing systematic changes for the tours and an inter-Korean industrial park in the North Korean city of Kaesong in accordance with the U.N. weapons and economic sanctions on the communist state, according to Yonhap.
"We'll heed demands from the international community in seeking to change operational methods for the Geumgang and Kaesong projects," Song said at a security forum in Seoul. "But the government has never expressed an intention to shut down the Kaesong and Geumgang projects."
Song's remarks came one day after U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill indirectly urged the South Korean government to abandon the Mount Geumgang tourism project.
On arriving in Seoul Tuesday, Hill said the tourism project seemed to be "more designed to give money to the North Korean authorities."
However, the U.S. official said the industrial project in Kaesong, where South Koreans have opened plants to take advantage of cheap North Korean labor, represents Seoul's efforts toward economic reform in the communist North. He also made clear that North Korea would have to pay for going ahead with its nuclear test despite international objections.
Commenting on Hill's remarks, Song said, "We are not simply swayed by other countries' opinions. We'll have to maintain balance and direction in circumstances to play an important role in the international society."
Referring to Washington's move to press Seoul to more actively participate in the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI), a measure aimed at interdicting vessels believed to be carrying weapons of mass destruction or related materials, Song said the government will consider expanding its participation in the PSI "to an appropriate and necessary level" in accordance with the U.N. sanctions.
"The participation of South Korea and China in the PSI will have different meaning for the (U.S.-led) nonproliferation initiative. Thus we'll closely examine the contents of the PSI and inter-Korean maritime accords before finalizing our stance," he said.
Song was asked about North Korea's reported move to conduct another nuclear test but refused to give a clear answer. He also said that the government will continue to push ahead with the "common and broad approach" towards North Korean problems, as the new approach is believed to comprise efforts to resume the six-party talks.
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is scheduled to visit Seoul Thursday for meetings with President Roh, Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon and other government officials.
She is expected to ask the South Korean government to take stronger measures against North Korea in line with the U.N. Security Council resolution imposing sanctions on the communist state for its declared nuclear bomb test.
