North Korea appeared to start demolishing a multimillion-dollar South Korean golf resort near Mount Kumgang over the weekend, exclusive NK News analysis of satellite images shows, apparently without permission from the Ananti company that built the facilities.
The new demolition work comes as North Korea continues to demolish a nearby floating hotel owned by South Korean company Hyundai Asan, a move that has drawn criticism from the Seoul government.
Ten large apartment buildings appeared to have been partially demolished between April 9 and April 10, according to Planet Labs satellite images, suggesting that North Korea used explosives. The main clubhouse building at the entrance to the resort appeared to remain intact since the last image taken on Sunday.
The demolition of the Ananti Golf Resort appears to have started between April 9 and 10 | Images: Planet Labs PBH, edited by NK News
A closer view of the above | Images: Planet Labs PBH, edited by NK News
Ananti Golf and Spa Resort opened to South Korean tourists in 2008 with luxurious facilities and a 19-hole golf course in the city of Kosong, near Mount Kumgang, at a cost of around $75 million. It was only open for less than a year, however, before Seoul suspended all tourism to North Korea after a DPRK soldier shot and killed a South Korean national at Mount Kumgang.
Read more: Luxury $75m North Korean golf course closed six weeks after opening
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said during a visit to Kumgang in Oct 2019 that South Korean assets in the region were “shabby” and lacked “national character”, and that North Korea would “remove any unpleasant-looking facilities from the south [Korean] side” after reaching an agreement with the relevant parties in the Republic of Korea.
South Korean Unification Ministry and other parties tried to negotiate with North Korea after Kim’s announcement, but Pyongyang declined to discuss the matter in person.
Senior DPRK official Kim Tok Hun later visited the Mount Kumgang area in dec. 2020 to reiterate Kim Jong Un’s plans to build “a world-class hotel, golf course, ski field, etc.” in place of the destroyed South Korean facilities.
Ananti Chairman Lee Joong-myung expressed hopes as recently as last summer, his resort could still host the 2025 World Amateur Golf Championship, but that doesn’t seem likely to happen after Pyongyang’s decision to scrap it.
A North Korean demolition team started to tear down the Haegumgang floating hotel in early March this year, days before the South Korean presidential election – indicating that Pyongyang intended to send a message to Seoul regardless of which party won the election.
As of April 10, the remains of the Haegumgang Hotel still appeared to be floating in the water, according to satellite images, but it is likely to be completely removed in the coming days or weeks.
Seoul required an explanation from DPRK authorities about the demolition of the hotel last week, but Pyongyang has reportedly yet to respond.
Edited by Arius Derr
North Korea appeared to start demolishing a multimillion-dollar South Korean golf resort near Mount Kumgang over the weekend, exclusive NK News analysis of satellite images shows, apparently without permission from the Ananti company that built the facilities.
The new demolition work comes as North Korea continues to demolish a nearby floating hotel owned by South Korean company Hyundai Asan, a move that has drawn criticism from the Seoul government.
