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Some parts of the restricted area in the Mt. Kumgang beach in North Korea where a South Korean tourist was shot dead by a North Korean guard on Friday are protected not by fences but by a sand dune. Hyundai Asan, the Mt. Kumgang tour operator, on Sunday released four photos of the area near the western line of control at the beach.
Three of them were taken at around 5 a.m. on Sunday, the reported time of Friday's shooting, and clearly show that it is bright enough to identify a person. In the pictures, a yellow-green fence 3.5 m in height and 70 m long is seen leading from a promenade towards the sea. But the fence does not block the entire way, and between the point where it ends to the water, there is only a sand dune standing 1-2 m in height and 2-3 m in width. A ¡°Do Not Enter¡± sign is posted 65 meters to the left from the sand dune, where a stroller might well miss it.
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This picture of a fence blocking entry to the restricted area where South Korean tourist Park Wang-ja was shot dead on Friday shows only a low sand dune small enough for an adult to accidentally walk over without a clearly visible warning. The picture was released by Hyundai Asan on Sunday.
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The photographic evidence conflicts with Hyundai Asan¡¯s earlier account, which said Park must have climbed over the fence or entered the restricted area during ebb tide by going around the fence. The sand dune is small enough for an adult traveler to walk over. The photographs have fueled criticism of North Korea¡¯s apparent overreaction.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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