An official from the U.S. Ministry of Finance in Seoul announced
that matters related to Mt. Geumgang tourism are considered exempt from terms
set by UN sanctions against North Korea.
Speaking at a press conference held at the American Center
Korea on August 21st, he stated, “The United Nations Security Council
resolution for punitive sanctions against North Korea does not apply to Mt. Geumgang
tourism activities.”
“How the South Korean government chooses to handle this case
is of the utmost importance,” he went on. “There are myriad aspects of inter-Korean
relations to which the resolutions do not apply. These relations are perceived
as isolated from international pressure on North Korea.”
The announcement has been interpreted as license for the South
Korean government to judge and make decisions about restarting tours to Mt. Geumgang, free from restraints
imposed by UN sanctions on North Korea. It is not clear, however, if this
official’s words are representative of official U.S. government position on the
matter.
In March 2013, the Unification Ministry addressed the issue,
stating, “Our position remains to exercise authoritative interpretation of the
Security Council measures.” It went on to determine that the sanctions mainly
served to restrict bulk cash restrictions in commercial transactions through
the banking system; thus, they do not apply to normal dealings [in this case,
Mt. Geumgang tours] in the system.
If funds to support Mt. Geumgang tourism efforts are at any
point linked to the development of weapons of mass destruction, any standing
exemptions will be revoked, and the tours will immediately be subject to
sanctions.
Tours to
Mt. Geumgang operated from 1998-2008 with the North receiving almost
$500 million USD in funding from the South for the project during the period. The program halted in 2008
when a South Korean tourist was fatally shot by North Korean guards.
