From the Korea Times:
Two Koreas Discuss Setting Up Weather Center at Mt. Kumgang
By Lee Jin-woo
Tourists visiting North Korea’s scenic Mt. Kumgang resort are likely to be presented with more accurate weather forecasts as early as this fall, officials at South Korea’s Unification Ministry said Wednesday.
South and North Korea are in negotiations to open a weather forecasting center at the mountain to provide tourists with more accurate meteorological information in the region, notorious for its unpredictable weather, said a ministry official, who asked not to be identified.
“Negotiations between the two Koreas are currently under way to open a weather center. There are still some areas that the two sides need to agree upon,” the official said. “Pyongyang is showing a positive response to the plan though.”
In May, a survey team comprised of officials from the ministry, Hyundai Asan Corp. as well as the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) was dispatched to the area to gather information prior to beginning construction, sources said.
Hyundai Asan has led the tourism project under which more than 1.2 million South Koreans have visited the resort area since the communist state opened the outer part of Mt. Kumgang on its east coast in 1998. Last year, the annual number of South Korean visitors to Mt. Kumgang reached over 300,000 for the first time.
“It was early last year when we first requested local broadcasting companies to add weather forecasts for Mt. Kumgang and its adjacent areas,” said Kwon Kee-seob, who is in charge of public relations at Hyundai Asan. “The broadcasters, however, told us to discuss the matter with the KMA and the Unification Ministry to set up some facilities to gather information there.”
Kwon added over 2,000 South Koreans, including some 1,000 travelers, visit or stay in the North Korean territory on average everyday.
“We’ve got many phone calls from those who plan to make a trip to Mt. Kumgang, but have not been able to give them good weather information,” he said.
South Korean officials once considered making use of weather forecasts by the North Korean meteorological agency, but later gave up the plan due to the poor quality of weather information from the North, sources said.
