北朝鮮豪華客船停航

Recently the NHK News on-line reported the following:

北朝鮮 豪華客船運航取りやめ
9月11日 21時27分

北朝鮮は、ことしからシンガポール船籍の豪華客船による景勝地・クムガン山への観光を始めましたが、中国がこの春以降、北朝鮮への観光ツアーを制限した影響で、このほど運航を取りやめたことが分かりました。

北朝鮮は、ことし２月からシンガポール船籍の豪華客船を北東部のラソン経済特区の港に停泊させ、カジノ付きの宿泊施設として活用するとともに、５月からは、ラソン経済特区と南東部の景勝地・クムガン山の間で観光船として運航していました。
しかし、中朝関係筋がＮＨＫに明らかにしたところによりますと、中国が４月以降、朝鮮半島の緊張の高まりを受けて北朝鮮への観光ツアーを制限したことで、当てにしていた中国人観光客が集まらず、北朝鮮は先月、豪華客船の運航を取りやめ、船は今月２日ごろ、ラソン経済特区の港を出てシンガポールに戻ったということです。
これについて北朝鮮の国営メディアは一切伝えておらず、キム・ジョンウン第１書記が外貨獲得のため観光を重視する姿勢を打ち出しているなかで、イメージダウンを避けたいものとみられます。
また、最近北朝鮮が韓国に対し、陸路でのクムガン山観光の再開を強く働きかけている背景には、こうした中国人観光客の減少を穴埋めしたい思惑もありそうです。

(試譯文)

Although from this year North Korea began the sightseeing to the scenic spot of Qum Gang Mountain by luxury liner that had a Singapore nationality, because of China’s restriction on the sightseeing tour to North Korea since this spring, it turned out that the operation was canceled recently.

From February this year, the luxury liner with the Singapore nationality anchoring in the harbor of the Rason special economic zone located at the northeast part, was fitted out with accommodation facilities and a casino. From May, North Korea operated it as a tourist ship going between the Rason special economic zone and the scenic spot at the Qum Gang Mountain located at the southeast part.

However, according to a China-North Korea competent source, it was made clear to NHK that in April, in response to the rise of strain in the Korean Peninsula, China restricted the sightseeing tour to North Korea. Afterwards, it was said that the Chinese tourists who were counted on did not gather for the trips. North Korea canceled the operation of the luxury liner last month, and on the second of this month the ship came out of the harbor of the Rason special economic zone and returned to Singapore.

No state media in North Korea were told about this. Because the First Secretary Kim Jong Eun, for the acquisition of foreign currency, had set forth a posture that sightseeing was considered as important, the media was regarded as to avoid any damage to this image.

Moreover, as there was a wish to make up for the reduction in Chinese tourists, the matter was likely to serve as a backdrop which influenced strongly North Korea in these days to resume with South Korea the Qum Gang mountain sightseeing that used the overland route.

It seems that North Korea is eager to earn foreign currency.