N. Korea signals willingness to hold talks with S. Korea over resort

North Korea has indicated its willingness to hold talks with South Korea to resolve a dispute over assets at a scenic mountain resort in the isolated country, an official said Wednesday. The North expelled South Korean workers from Mount Kumgang and disposed of South Korean assets there after it unsuccessfully tried to pressure Seoul to resume the tour program. Seoul halted the joint tour programs in 2008 following the shooting death of a South Korean female tourist near the resort. Seoul has since been demanding a formal apology from Pyongyang for the incident, in addition to improved security measures for tourists. Ri Jong-hyuk, a ranking Workers' Party official who handles Pyongyang's relations with Seoul, suggested that South Korea propose holding the talks, an official of the Unification Ministry said. Ri made the thinly veiled offer in a meeting with officials of South Korea's Hyundai Asan, a key investor in the resort, in the North's border city of Kaesong last month, according to the official. The meeting was part of efforts between Hyundai Asan and North Korea to break the impasse over the South Korean assets. In July, the South proposed holding talks with North Korea to discuss the matter. The Unification Ministry official said Seoul's offer still remains valid. The North's move comes as North Korea is pushing to revitalize the resort by seeking to attract Chinese tourists. South Korea has asked foreign countries not to invest or engage in tourism activities at the mountain resort as part of moves to protect its property rights there.