A cruise ship tour from China to North Korea's scenic mountain resort Mount Kumgang has been launched.
China News reported that some 100 Chinese tourists from the northeastern province of Jilin set sail from the North Korean port Najin to visit Mount Kumgang on a four-day trip.
An official from the Yanbian Chunwoo International Travel Agency, which has the exclusive rights for the tour, said it was the first tour from China to visit Mount Kumgang by sea.
There are now around 10 separate travel programs to North Korea from China.
Analysts say the expanding number of Chinese tourism programs to North Korea is helping Pyeongyang earn much-needed hard currency.
For a decade, South and North Korea jointly ran a tour program for South Korean tourists who traveled to the Mount Kumgang resort by sea.
But the cross-border tour program came to a halt following the 2008 shooting death of a South Korean tourist by a North Korean soldier at the tourist site.

Reporter : julian@arirang.co.kr