Page 32 - ARUBA TODAY

A32 FEATURE
Monday 19 august 2019

Tourists go off beaten path on North Korea's sacred volcano

By ERIC TALMADGE Any big expansion in the
Associated Press numbers of foreign tour-
MOUNT PAEKTU, North Ko- ists will require an easing of
rea (AP) — Foreign tour- international sanctions in
ists looking to go off the place to push Kim to aban-
beaten path in North Korea don his nuclear weapons
can now camp out on the program.
country's biggest volcano. Shepherd's trekking group
Hoping to open up a side of was made up of two Aus-
North Korea rarely seen by tralian women and two
outsiders, a New Zealander Norwegian men. Tourists
who has extensive experi- from the United States are
ence climbing the moun- blocked from coming to
tains of North and South North Korea by a travel
Korea is leading the first ban imposed by President
group of foreign tourists al- Donald Trump in response
lowed to trek off road and to the death of Ameri-
camp out under the stars can college student Otto
on Mount Paektu, a huge Warmbier, who died shortly
volcano that straddles the after his release from North
border that separates Chi- Korean custody for alleg-
na and North Korea. edly trying to steal a propa-
In 946 AD, Paektu was the ganda banner.
site of one of the largest In this Sunday, Aug. 18,2019, photo, Tarjei Naess Skrede of Norway who is hiking with Roger Shep- By the time Warmbier was
eruptions in history. It is con- herd of Hike Korea stands near a view of the caldera and Lake Chon on Mount Paektu in North released, he was in a veg-
sidered one of the most Korea. etative state. What hap-
beautiful natural sites in Associated Press pened to Warmbier while
North Korea and is still ac- can stay in nearby hotels against the Japanese co- they were to spend on the he was in custody remains
tive, though there haven't and drive right up to its cra- lonial rulers before 1945 — hike. unclear.
been any big eruptions in ter to see the blue waters of a possible reason why the Under leader Kim Jong Un, Incidents involving tour-
recent years. Lake Chon in Paektu's cal- idea of allowing a foreign North Korea has placed a ists are rare, however, and
It's revered in the North for dera. camping excursion clicked high priority on develop- Shepherd said his intention
its links to the ruling Kim But Roger Shepherd, found- with the local authorities. ing its tourism industry as a is to get beyond politics
family and is considered er of Hike Korea, which is But Shepherd's group has source of much-needed during the hike.
the spiritual home of the based in the South, man- for the most part managed foreign currency and as He said that after the first
Korean revolution. Trips to aged to convince North to avoid the typical mini- an industry that can be day, the trekkers had al-
the mountain are popular Korean government of- bus and propaganda lec- fairly closely controlled and ready begun to forge
with North Koreans who ficials to let him take his ture experience that often monitored. bonds with their North Ko-
visit with their schools, work guests off the beaten path awaits foreign tourists here. It is currently carrying out rean guides.
units or other social groups for the first time. On Saturday, the group massive infrastructure proj- "I hope that it's because
on excursions that are part The area around the moun- climbed the mountain from ects in several locations, mountains and nature does
indoctrination and part tain features several recon- near its base, walked to the including at Samjiyon, the that," he said. "Out here it's
recreation. structed "secret campsites" lake from the rim and then largest city near Mount very apolitical. There's no
It's also popular with Chi- said to have been used by hiked out across a volcanic Paektu, and in the east- need for the nonsense out
nese tourists and smaller national founder Kim Il Sung plateau to pitch their tents ern port city of Wonsan here. We're all trying to do
foreign tour groups who and his guerrillas in the fight for the first of five nights and the adjacent Mount the same thing.
Kumgang area, which was Work together as a team,
open to South Korean tour- pitch tents, eat together
ists until around 2008, when walk together. In my experi-
a South Korean housewife ence, that's a good way for
was shot for wandering into these guys to see the real
a restricted area. people of this country."q

In this Sunday, Aug. 18, 2019, photo, a group of foreign hikers
In this Sunday, Aug. 18, 2019, photo, Sinead of Australia, chats with Paula of Australia and Tarjei lead by Roger Shepherd of Hike Korea, visits a monument near
Naess Skrede of Norway during a on Mount Paektu in North Korea. Mount Paektu in North Korea.
Associated Press Associated Press