North Korea Rejects Visit by Hyundai Chairwoman | Inter-Korean Relations Taking a More Hostile Turn?

Upon learning of Hyundai Group Chairwoman Hyun Jeong-eun's plan to visit Mt. Kumgang, North Korea immediately refused, stating that it had no intention to even consider the request. Interestingly, the statement did not come from an organization tasked with South Korean relations, such as the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland (CPRF), but rather directly from its Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This has led some experts to believe that North Korea is seeking to redefine its relations with South Korea, transitioning from a "special relationship" to a conventional nation-to-nation relationship and possibly implying that it views the South as a hostile state. Amid severely strained inter-Korean relations, North Korea is extending its diplomatic reach to other players like China and Russia and is also keeping lines of communication open with Japan. In this report, Choi Yuchan examines the reasons behind North Korea's quick refusal of Hyun Jeong-eun's visit via a statement from its Ministry of Foreign Affairs. #NorthKorea #NorthKoreanMinistryofForeignAffairs #Hyundai #HyundaiAsan #MountKumgang #CommitteeforthePeacefulReunificationoftheFatherland #RiSonGwon #InterKoreanRelations #BasicAgreement #JapanNorthKoreaSummit #MinistryofUnification #CPRF