North Korea is striving to develop an international tourism zone linking its eastern coastal city of Wonsan and Mount Geumgang, pledging “various preferential treatments” for foreign investors.

Oh Eung-gil, head of the committee to develop the zone, told the North’s Korean Central News Agency that the North had already signed a number of contracts with many companies in Asia and Europe, after they expressed their intention to join the project.

Oh added that the firms will participate in designing of the zone, information technology, transportation and lodging.

“We will develop a variety of tourism products such as mountain climbing and cycling, which will take advantage of the tourism features of the zone,” Oh told the media.

On May 27, the North held an investment briefing for potential foreign investors at Mount Geumgang. Investors from China and Switzerland were reported to have attended it.

By Song Sang-ho (sshluck@heraldcorp.com)