According to Yonhap News Agency citing the Rodong Sinmun, the newspaper of the Workers’ Party of Korea, on February 20, the Singaporean cruise ship “Royal Star” held an inauguration ceremony at Rajin Port in North Hamgyong Province. During their speeches, the president of the Rajin International Travel Agency and the owner of the “Royal Star” emphasized the promotion of tourism between Rajin and Mount Kumgang, as well as the development of the Rajin Special Economic Trade Zone. This means the cruise ship will travel between Rajin Port and Mount Kumgang in Gangwon Province, and the inauguration of the “Royal Star” indicates that North Korea intends to attract a large number of Chinese tourists to visit Mount Kumgang.
In July 2008, after a South Korean tourist was shot and killed at Mount Kumgang, the inter-Korean Mount Kumgang tourism project was suspended. North Korea then turned its attention to foreign tourists and in August 2011 launched a trial maritime tourism program between Rajin and Mount Kumgang using the cruise ship “Man Gyong Bong.” The Mount Kumgang tourism project using the “Man Gyong Bong” was carried out four times for over 400 Chinese tourists until October of that year but did not achieve good results. Therefore, last spring, Chinese media reported that North Korea would deploy a luxury cruise ship from Hong Kong for maritime tourism between Rajin and Mount Kumgang. Analysts believe that the North Korean government and Chinese travel agencies concluded that unless they improved the facilities and service quality of the cruise ships, they could not attract tourists, leading to the decision to deploy the Singaporean cruise ship “Royal Star.”
A North Korea expert analyzed that the inauguration ceremony of the Singaporean cruise ship signals North Korea’s intent to independently attract foreign tourists. If Chinese tourists visit Mount Kumgang, it may inevitably spark disputes over the infringement of property rights previously managed by Hyundai Asan, which had operated the Mount Kumgang tourism project. The South Korean government has previously pointed out that North Korea’s revocation of Hyundai Asan’s monopoly rights and other actions infringed upon South Korean property rights, and urged North Korea to halt tourism projects aimed at foreigners.