North Korea cancels economic cooperation agreements with South Korea

North Korea’s state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on February 8 that the Supreme People’s Assembly, the country’s parliament, had resolved to cancel all agreements to promote economic cooperation with South Korea. Photo provided by KCNA taken in Pyongyang on January 15th (2024, Reuters)

[ソウル ８日 ロイター] – North Korea’s state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that the Supreme People’s Assembly, the country’s parliament, has resolved to cancel all agreements to promote economic cooperation with South Korea.

It also resolved to abolish laws stipulating economic relations with South Korea, such as the special law regarding the operation of Mt. Kumgang tourism projects.

The tourism project is a symbol of economic cooperation that began in the early 2000s, and has attracted about 2 million Koreans. However, the program was suspended in 2008 after a South Korean tourist who entered the restricted area was shot and killed by North Korean soldiers.

North Korea has stated that it regards South Korea as an enemy country, and announced last year that it would resume all military measures that had been suspended under the 2018 inter-Korean military agreement.

KCNA also reported that Kim Jong Un, general secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea, toured factories producing consumer goods and food on the 7th and provided guidance on modernizing the facilities as part of a new regional development policy.

South Korean President Yun Seok-Yeol called North Korea’s policy change an “extremely big change” and said it was difficult to understand the thinking behind such a move. South Korean national broadcaster KBS reported the pre-recorded interview on the 7th.

“What hasn’t changed is that the North has been trying to turn us into communists for over 70 years, and during that time it realized that conventional weapons were not enough and began developing nuclear weapons,” he said.

Mr. Yun, who has taken a hard-line stance toward North Korea, said he would continue to be involved, including a summit meeting with Mr. Kim, and was open to providing economic aid to North Korea. However, he pointed out that the North Korean leadership is “not a rational group.”

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2024-02-08 00:57:00