By Michael Rank
China is planning cruises to North and South Korea, Russia and Japan from the northeastern border city of Hunchun 珲春, according to a Chinese-language report.
Ports of call will include Raseon (Rasŏn/Naseon/Nasŏn) 라선 on North Korea’s northeast coast, Sokcho 속초 in South Korea, just south of the DMZ, and Vladivostok, the report says, quoting Jilin province officials.
“There are still a number of questions to be resolved concerning the cruises, such as different visa requirements among the five countries concerned,” it quotes a Jilin tourism official as saying. But he also says tourism officials from the five countries have “decided to take joint action and are making great efforts to open this tourist route.”
The head of the Jilin tourism bureau, He Baiping, is quoted as saying Jilin has seven border crossing points and that the number of tourists visiting Russia and North Korea is on the increase, which is good for the local economy.
The report gives no more details, but notes that Hunchun is close to the borders with North Korea and Russia and says the cruises will promote tourism in northeast Asia.
The cruises should start in Hunchun !?
Are there at the moment any boats (cargo oder passenger) that can and are allowed to ply the shallow Tumen-river up from the coast to Hunchun (some 50 miles ?),
(IIRC two American female journalists just walked across the very same river only few miles upstream)
Thus, the cruise ships should be capable of mastering the shallow Tumenkang as well as the rough Japanese (outch: East) sea ?
IIRC, Japan bans from its ports ships that have called at North Korean ports within the last six months.