North Korea’s Supreme People’s Assembly voted in favor cancel all agreements signed with South Korea To promote economic cooperation, North Korea’s state news agency KCNA reported on Thursday, a new sign that tensions between the two Koreas are continuing to worsen.
The assembly, which officially adopts policies dictated by the ruling Workers’ Party, also voted to scrap laws regulating economic relations with Seoul, including the law governing the operation of the Mount Kumgang tourism project.
The trips to this mountain north of the eastern border were a symbol of this economic cooperation that began during a period of engagement between the two Koreas in the early 2000swhich attracted nearly 2 million South Korean visitors.
The project was canceled in 2008 after a South Korean tourist who entered a restricted area was shot by North Korean guards.
North Korea has said it now views the South as a war enemy. And last year it canceled a military agreement signed in 2018 aimed at reducing tensions near the military border, which was concluded as part of a ceasefire that ended the 1950-53 Korean War.
KCNA reported separately that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un toured factories producing consumer goods and food on Wednesday and gave guidelines on modernizing the facilities as part of the implementation of a new regional development policy.
Countries including the United States and the United Kingdom have called on North Korea to work on relations with South Korea and stop testing high-level military weapons. North Korea has not yet complied with these requests.
With information from Reuters.
ORP