DPRK to expel ROK citizens from resort

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(China Daily)
Updated: 2008-08-10 08:54

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) said yesterday that it would expel citizens from the Republic of Korea (ROK) from a mountain resort that symbolized reconciliation efforts on the divided peninsula, amid rising tension over the shooting death of a ROK tourist.

The DPRK military unit at its Diamond Mountain resort said in a statement that today it will begin ejecting from the resort ROK personnel deemed "unnecessary" because the ROK "is pushing the North-South relations to a graver stage."

The DPRK says an army guard fatally shot a 53-year-old ROK housewife at the resort last month because she entered a restricted military area and ignored a warning to stop.

The ROK suspended its decade-old tour program to the resort in response, demanding the DPRK allow ROK investigators into the area. The DPRK has refused and told the ROK to apologize for halting the tours.

The ROK Unification Ministry, which is responsible for relations with the DPRK, said businessmen and workers at the resort have been returning home voluntarily. About 160 ROK people remain at the resort and most will leave by mid-August, the ministry said.

"We hope this case will be resolved swiftly and smoothly," Unification Ministry spokesman Kim Ho-nyeon said yesterday.

The DPRK said it would evict ROK people in stages, starting with tourism officials and workers.

The ROK has sought international support to pressure Pyongyang to accept an investigation. Earlier this week, US President George W. Bush said during a visit to Seoul that he was urging the DPRK to engage in dialogue to resolve the case and prevent similar incidents.

Agencies