Firebrand North Korean Leader Orders Destruction Of South Korean Hotels In Kumgang

Firebrand North Korean leader, Kim Jong Un has ordered the demolition of South Korean hotels and other amusement facilities in the resort town of Kumgang. Better known as Diamond Mountain to many tourists, the complex was opened in 1998 and was co-managed by the two warring countries.

Kumgang closed in 2008 because of a dispute between the Koreas. Before the closure, the resort complex served as a significant source of income for the cash-starved North Korean regime of Kim Jong-il.

In a report by the Korean Central News Agency on Wednesday, Kim Jong Un said that the South Korean facilities lacked "national character" and were "shabby." He added that it is comparable to "makeshift tents in a disaster-stricken area."

Kim has pressed the South Korean government to reestablish the complex since last year. However, President Moon Jae-in's government said that it needs to follow the USA's call on scrapping the North's nuclear weapons program.

In response, the 35-year-old Supreme Leader of the North said that they are building a new modern complex that will blend with the "scenery of Mount Kumgang." He also took a swipe on his father's decision to "rely on others" for the resort, a reference to South Korea's previous efforts.

Breaking the mold set by his predecessors, Kim Jong Un has often criticized state-run factories and construction projects​ as unproductive. Pyongyang's top man is planning to build a "self-reliant" economy and has launched several projects along its scenic east coast and near Mount Baekdu to boost tourism.

The US has excluded sanctions on tourism, and Kim is eyeing on using the industry as one of North's sources of income. The Diamond Mountain resort had accommodated at least two million South Korean tourists before it ceased its operations.

It generated millions of dollars at a time when North Korea was struggling to recover from a disastrous famine. South Korean conglomerate Hyundai built and ran the resort for ten years.

Its facilities included hotels, restaurants, spas, ​a concert hall, and a golf course​ at the picturesque spot​. It was stopped because former President Lee Myung-bak surmised that the tourist revenue was funding the North's nuclear weapons development.

Furthermore, Hyundai pulled out of the project after a North Korean security guard shot and murdered a South Korean tourist who strayed into a restricted area. Kim indicated that the North Korean regime is not interested in letting their Southern neighbors rerun the facilities.

He did, however, clarify that South Koreans can always come and visit Mount Kumgang.