Korea Central News Agency, the official mouthpiece of North Korea, is mad – damned mad – that South Koreans aren't heading across the border any more.

Mt. Kumgang tours were made possible at one point, but the South Korean government has suspended them, according to the North, because the Ministry of Unification and other governmental bodies have expressed doubts about the personal safety of visitors. This has been interpreted as "nothing but an intention to completely suspend tourism."

The absence of vacationers has had profound consequences, it seems: "Mt. Kumgang has been driven into a catastrophic crisis owing to the desperate obstruction of the present regime." Ouch! The KCNA also reports that the South is "depreciating the achievements made in the past economic cooperation work under the unreasonable pretexts."

Though Kumgang may be exposed to a "catastrophic crisis," the Seoul regime will not emerge unscathed. According to the KCNA, the authorities down south "will be bound to face punishment by history if they persist in the hostile policy toward the DPRK and hinder the south-north cooperation, the organizations urged them to immediately opt for resumption of the tour of Mt. Kumgang.

Filed under: Asia, North Korea