On October 23, North Korean media outlets reported that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un ordered officials to tear down South Korean facilities in Mount Kumgang, a symbol of inter-Korean exchanges, claiming they were unpleasant to look at. Chairman Kim claimed that Mount Kumgang was neglected for a decade due to an improper policy of his predecessors who tried to rely on the South when the nation was weak and surprisingly criticized his father, Kim Jong-il, who had promoted the tourism of Mount Kumgang as an economic cooperation project with the South. He also said, "Mount Kumgang has become like a symbol, a measure of inter-Korean relations, spreading the idea that tourism of Mount Kumgang cannot be developed if inter-Korean relations do not advance, but this is a wrong perception."

Kim's latest instructions were shocking and regrettable for they called for the nation to erase traces of South Korea in Mount Kumgang. This also goes against the agreement in the Pyongyang Joint Declaration of September 2018, which stated that the two Koreas would "first restore operation in the Kaesong Industrial Complex and tourism of Mount Kumgang as soon as conditions are met." After the joint declaration, North Korea urged the South to restore tourism of Mount Kumgang, and Chairman Kim also expressed his willingness to restore operations in Kaesong and tourism of Mount Kumgang without asking anything in exchange in his New Year's address this year. However, when the South Korean government remained passive, conscious of the sanctions on North Korea, the North delivered an ultimatum stating that they would remove the "label" of an inter-Korean cooperation project from Mount Kumgang. Chairman Kim, who has been observing the Moon Jae-in government's policy on North Korea since last year, appears to have concluded that the South would not be able to overcome the framework of cooperation with the U.S. in the future. The latest instructions could be seen as an expression of his strong disappointment in the South Korean government, which cannot do anything until progress is made in the denuclearization negotiations between North Korea and the U.S. But the two Koreas must not turn the Mount Kumgang project, which opened the door to inter-Korean reconciliation and cooperation, into a symbol of the breakdown of inter-Korean relations, for any reason. If North Korea unilaterally destroys an agreement and contract with South Korea, its credibility in the international community is bound to fall. The loss suffered by Hyundai Asan, which invested a huge amount of money into the Mount Kumgang project, cannot be ignored, either. We ask North Korea to carefully consider the decision.

The South Korean government must gravely accept the situation, which has led inter-Korean relations to this point. The criticism that the South Korean government neglected to make any efforts to resume tourism of Mount Kumgang, which is exempt from the sanctions on North Korea, because it was too focused on the response of the U.S. and the international community, is convincing. A virtuous cycle between inter-Korean relations and talks between North Korea and the U.S. would be best, but the South Korean government needs to reflect and see if it had perhaps been too dependent on North Korea-U.S. talks.

Chairman Kim instructed his officials to "discuss" the demolition of the facilities "with relevant authorities in South Korea," so an opportunity for dialogue has been provided. But passively waiting for the North to call will not solve the problem. We urge the government to make utmost efforts to propose talks and present solutions. After all, we cannot simply watch the doors close on Mount Kumgang, can we?