Just like with Roh Jeong-ho, I just don’t feel sorry for any South Korean businessman that did business with North Korea knowing that getting cheated was the likely out come:

Victim of the North Korean murder at the Geumgang Resort Park Wang-ja.

South Korea on Thursday expressed its “deep regret” to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea ( DPRK) after the later said it will launch investigation to South’s all real estates inside the resort area of Mt. Kumgang.

Seoul’s Unification Ministry confirmed in a press release that the DPRK informed South Korea via a recent fax message that it will look into all of the real estates owned by South Koreans in the resort area along its east coast. In response, the ministry said the country’s position remains unchanged, reaffirming its demand for ensuring safety of its tourists first.

It’s no doubt that the DPRK’s move violated agreements set between the operators and governments of the both sides, and also infringed international practices, the ministry said.

Pyongyang must abide by the established agreements, and resolve pending problems through dialogue, it added.

The resumption of the cross-border tours, which directly link to the safety of the South Korean citizens, is only possible after the issue of safety guarantee is completely settled, it reiterated.

The DPRK’s Asia-Pacific Peace Committee, in charge of exchanges with South Korea, demanded in the earlier fax that the South Korea ‘s related figures who possess real estate in the Mt. Kumgang area should go there by March 25 to receive investigation, otherwise they will no longer be allowed to visit Mt. Kumgang and their properties will be seized, according to the ministry.

The DPRK also said if Seoul fails to resume the cross-border tour, it will look for new partners from April to run the tourism program to Mt. Kumgang and Kaesong area, the ministry added.  [People's Daily]

ROK Drop readers may remember that this current dispute between the North & South Korean government is because the North will not apologize for murdering a South Korean tourist and putting policies in place to protect future tourists.  Now the North is trying to play hardball by seizing the real estate in order to avoid having to admit blame for the murder.  I’m sure the Lee Myung-bak administration had to have expected to this, so it will be interesting to see how this turns out.  I’m just glad to see a South Korean government finally standing up to the North Koreans and no longer taking any crap from them when they commit atrocities such as the murder of the tourist at the resort.