Mt. Kumgang Tourism Timeline: Significant Events and Meetings
All meetings and talks place at Mt. Kumgang, unless otherwise noted.
1989 January 13 Chung Ju-young, founder of Hyundai , travels to North Korea via China and
signs the Agreement on Kumgang Mountain Tourism
1998 June 23 Chung Ju-young visits North Korea to discuss Mt. Kumgang tourism and
development project.
September 7 The South Korean government approves a $96 million inter-Korean
economic project submitted by Hyundai Merchant Marine, Hyundai
Construction, and Kumgang Development.
October 29 Hyundai and North Korea's Asia-Pacific Peace Committee sign an
Agreement on the Mt. Kumgang Tourism Project.
November 18 The first Mt. Kumgang cruise ship “The Kumgang” leaves for Mt.
Kumgang.
1999 June 21 A female South Korean tourist is detained by the North Korean
authorities during her tour, causing a temporary disruption in the project.
August 5 Hyundai and North Korea sign an agreement, which provides a set
of guidelines for tourists and protects their safety. Subsequently, the
tours are resumed.
October 23 Foreign tourists are allowed on the Mt. Kumgang cruise ship. The
first group of 16 non-Korean tourists visits Mt. Kumgang by one
of the cruise ships named the Pung-ak.
2000 May 24 The construction of the main wharf in Jangjon harbor begins.
June 8 Hyundai and North Korea agree to reduce the entry fee from a monthly lump-sum
($12million monthly, total $942million until February 2005) to $100 per person, open a land
route, and designate the Mt. Kumgang area as a special tourist district.
June 15 The South-North Summit Meeting: Kim Dae-jung and Kim Jong-il meet in Pyongyang
June 27 First Inter-Korean Red Cross Talks (first talks after the historic South-North Summit Meeting)
September 20 Second Inter-Korean Red Cross Talks
January 29 Third Inter-Korean Red Cross Talks
2001 June 23 At the administration’s request, The Korea National Tourist Organization begins
working on the Mt. Kumgang tourism project.
October 3 The first government level talks to promote Mt. Kumgang tourism
.
November 9 Sixth Inter-Korean Ministerial Talks
2002 April 28 For the first time, an Inter-Korean reunion of Separated Families takes place at
Mt. Kumgang
April 4 The South Korean government starts subsidizing travel expenses
for students, teachers, separated families, national heroes, and the
handicapped.
June 14 Celebration of the two-year anniversary of the June 15 Join Declaration
July 12 Research team of 320 university students visits Mt. Kumgang
September 6 Fourth Inter-Korean Red Cross Talks
September 10 The second government level talks to promote Mt. Kumgang
tourism are held in Mt. Kumgang.
September 13 Fifth Inter-Korean Reunion of Separated Families
October 12 First Inter-Korean Working-level Meeting (officially called Working-level
Contact) on the Reconnection of Railroads and Roads
October 13 South and North Korean Youth Unification Meeting
October 16 South and North Korean Women’s Unification Meeting
October 31 First Inter-Korean Red Cross Working-level Meeting
November 16 Second Inter-Korean Working-level Meeting on the Reconnection
of Railroads and Roads First Inter-Korean Working-level Meeting on Marine Transportation
Cooperation
December 6 Second Inter-Korean Working-level Meeting on the Kaesong Industrial
Complex Project
Completion of temporary road along the Donghae Line for tourism to
Mt. Kumgang via land route
December 15 Second Inter-Korean Red Cross Working-level Meeting
December 25 Third Inter-Korean Working-level Meeting on the Reconnection of Railroads
and Roads
2003 February 3 Trip to inspect the land route to Mt. Kumgang takes place.
February 13 First Family Reunion Center Construction Committee Meeting
February 14 Temporary road on the Donghae Line is open and Mt. Kumgang
pilot tour via land route begins
February 20 Sixth Inter-Korean Reunion of Separated Families
March 3 Second Family Reunion Center Construction Committee Meeting
April 17 Special Investigation for Hyundai’s payment to North Korea starts
April 26 Hyundai Asan announces suspension of Mt. Kumgang tours following North
Korea’s decision to ban Mt. Kumgang tours (because of SARS, the DPRK closed its borders
at this time.
June 10 Chung Mong-hun, CEO of Hyundai, visits North Korea to discuss resuming Kumgang
Tourism
June 25 Kumgang Tourism Re-starts
June 27 Seventh Inter-Korean Reunion of Separated Families
July 29 Second Inter-Korean Working-level Talks on Economic Cooperation System
August 4 Chung Mong-hun, CEO of Hyundai, committed suicide after being investigated
for payments to North Korea in the Special Investigation.
August 5 North Korea suspends Kumgang tourism for one week
August 21 Third Family Reunion Center Construction Committee Meeting
September 1 Overland tour to Mt. Kumgang begins on a regular basis
September 20 Eighth Inter-Korean Reunion of Separated Families
November 4 Fifth Inter-Korean Red Cross Talks
2004 March 29 Ninth Inter-Korean Reunion of Separated Families
April 29 New Regulations on Mt. Kumgang (Entry, exit, long-term residence in the Mt.
Kumgang and Customs)
June 30 Tenth Inter-Korean Working-level Contact on the Reconnection of
Railroads and Roads
July 3 One day trips start
July 11 Tenth Inter-Korean Reunion of Separated Families
October 11 Regulations adopted on real estate in Mt. Kumgang
November 25 3rd Technical Working talks for construction of an interview room
for separated people
2005 August 19 Kim Yoon-gyu, vice president of Hyundai Asan, resigns after Hyundai
investigation into charges of corruption
August 23 6th Inter-Korean Red Cross talks
August 25 North Korea announces it will restrict the number of travelers to 600
and allow only two nights three days visits (in response to Kim Yoon-gyu’s
resignation.)
August 26 Eleventh Inter-Korean Reunion of Separated Families
August 31 Start construction of the reunion center for separated family
November 5 Twelfth Inter-Korean Reunion of Separated Families
2006 February 11 Seventh Inter-Korean Red Cross Talks
March 9 Inter-Korean Women’s Summit
May 16 Working-level contacts to discuss President Kim Dae-jung’s Pyongyang visit
June 19 Thirteenth Inter-Korean Reunion of Separated Families
June 21 President Kim Dae-jung’s visit to Pyongyang postponed indefinitely
July 6 North Korea launches missiles
July 7 South Korea suspends rice and fertilizer aid
July 19 North Korea suspends construction of reunion center
October 9 North Korea
Nuclear Test
October 18 The South Korean government stops subsidizing Kumgang tourism (in response
to North Korea’s nuclear test
November 29 South and North Korean journalists debate, organized by civil society
December 5 Unification Minister Lee Jong-seok visits North Korea
2007 March 9 The 6th Inter-Korean Red Cross working-level meeting for promoting the
construction of the reunion center
March 21 Resume construction of the reunion center
April 10 8th Inter-Korean Red Cross talks
May 9 Fourteenth Inter-Korean Reunion of Separated Families
May 17 Inter-Korean railway link between the Munsan and Gaesung train test runs
June 1 Inner Kumgang tourism launched
October 13 Completion of Restoration of Singye Temple in Kumgang Mountain
October 17 Fifteenth Inter-Korean Reunion of Separated Families
November 28 9th inter-Korean Red Cross talks
2008 March 17 Private visits by car begin. Twenty cars per day are allowed by North Korea
June 15 Memorial event for sixth anniversary of 6.15 Joint Declaration
July 11 Park Wang-ja, South tourist, is shot dead by a North Korean soldier
July 12 South Korea suspends tourist trips pending a joint investigation into the shooting
incident. Completion of the reunion center for Separated Families
July 12 Yoon Man-jun, a CEO of Hyundai ASAN, visits the North to investigate the
Shooting accident
August 1 With a joint South-North investigation not allowed by the DPRK, the ROK
government proceeded with a simulation experiment of the gun shot incident;
results announced this day
2009 August 17 Hyun Jeung-un, CEO of Hyundai, and Kim Jong-il agree to resume tourism
August 26 Inter-Korean Red Cross talks of Separated Families
September 26 Inter-Korean Reunion of Separated Families
October 13 South-North Joint Buddhists Ceremony to Celebrate two year Anniversary of Restoration of
Singye Temple at Kumgang Mountain
Last Updated October 19, 2009
