• South Korea is considering allowing individual tours to North Korea as a means to improve bilateral ties.
• The proposal is under review by South Korea’s Unification Ministry and is believed to comply with international sanctions.
• President Lee Jae-myung has initiated measures to ease tensions, including suspending anti-North propaganda efforts.
• North Korea recently opened a beach resort in Wonsan, currently closed to foreign visitors.
• Historically, South Korean tours were suspended after a 2008 incident involving a fatal shooting of a tourist by a North Korean soldier.

South Korea is reviewing the possibility of permitting individual tours to North Korea as part of President Lee Jae-myung’s broader strategy to mend strained inter-Korean relations. Koo Byung-sam, spokesperson for the Unification Ministry, indicated that such tours would not violate international sanctions, stating that "the government is reviewing and implementing its North Korea policy with the aim of easing tensions on the Korean Peninsula" according to Reuters and Channel News Asia.

The potential revival of tourism is seen as a significant step back towards engagement between Seoul and Pyongyang, particularly after the proposal was discussed during a National Security Council meeting. President Lee has taken several measures to ease prior tensions, including the cessation of anti-North Korea loudspeaker broadcasts and the halting of leaflet campaigns targeting the North’s leadership, reports Al Jazeera and Anadolu Agency.

Historically, South Korean tours to North Korea have been on hold since 2008, after a South Korean tourist was shot dead by a soldier in the Mount Kumgang area. The Unification Ministry maintains, however, that the planned individual tours could comply with current UN sanctions, which have not targeted tourism as a revenue source for the North, as noted in reports by Channel News Asia and Reuters.

Efforts to promote tourism align with North Korea's recent initiatives, such as the opening of the Wonsan beach resort, which unfortunately is not accepting foreign tourists as of now. Current limitations stem from the need to enhance services for local visitors as reported by Al Jazeera and Anadolu Agency.

Experts suggest that the North will likely seek economic benefits from the resumption of tourism, given its urgent need for foreign currency. Analysts emphasize however, that any agreement would likely depend on how South Korean nationals are classified under North Korean regulations, as stated by Channel News Asia and Al Jazeera.