Kim eyes tourist trade

NORTH Korea’s proclaimed shift from nuclear arms to economic development is prompting cautious optimism across the Chinese border in Dandong, a trading hub hit hard by United Nations sanctions against Pyongyang.

Travel agents in the Chinese city say they have seen a surge of interest in recent weeks, boosting an already strong peak tourism season.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s economic reform plans and warming ties between Pyongyang and its main backers in Beijing are behind the jump in activity, agents say.

“People who may have long been curious about seeing North Korea may think that now it is safer than ever,” said tour guide Teng Yi. After meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on June 19, their third such summit since March, Mr Kim spent the subsequent month inspecting factories and industrial projects along the Chinese border region.

The long trip, plus meetings with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and South Korea’s unification minister, underlined Mr Kim’s desire to rally support at home for his economic drive and convincing outsiders of his willingness to denuclearise.

Tourism is one of the few remaining reliable sources of foreign income for North Korea, after the UN imposed sanctions targeting 90 per cent of its $US3 billion annual exports.