Closer look at family reunion venue -- the Mount Kumgang resort

And as for *where the reunions are taking place... they're happening at North Korea's Mount Kumgang resort,.... which has been at the center of inter-Korean relations ever since it opened.
Our Kan Hyeong-woo tells us more about the scenic location.


Located on North Korea's southeast coast, the Mount Kumgang resort is the main venue for this year's family reunions between the two Koreas.

As the place where the first inter-Korean summit took place in 2000, the resort has long been one of the most symbolic connections between the South and North.
In particular, the resort has been the scene of family reunions on the Korean peninsula over the years.

In an effort to promote the scenic beauty of Mount Kumgang and expand inter-Korean exchanges, the resort was built by South Korean firm Hyundai Asan in 1998 and drew over one million tourists from the South for the next ten years.

But after South Korean tourist Park Wang-ja was shot dead by a North Korean soldier in July 2008, all tours from the South ceased and the resort went from a bustling tourist hotspot to a ghost town.

However,... ten years later, and things have changed.
The agreement from April's inter-Korean summit to hold the family reunions and its follow-up measures have revitalized the resort and the region in general.

Recognized as having preserved its biodiversity, Mount Kumgang was even added to the list of UNESCO's World Network of Biosphere Reserves in late July.

After the schedule for the 21st family reunion was set, there have been a number of renovations at the site… and senior South Korean officials have visited the area to examine preparations for the event.

Now that the stage is set for the war-separated families to reunite,… their time together at the Mount Kumgang resort will be etched into the minds of the Korean people for years to come.
Kan Hyeong-woo, Arirang News