North Korea would host a casino

The controversial leaders of North Korea made public their intentions to operate a touristic casino cruise ship with foreign investments.

North Korea.- Casino companies will be able to invest in a gaming project for the North Korean government. The country is urging foreign investments to operate a touristic casino cruise ship program. The latest proposal responds to North Korea’s intentions to increase the international tourism visiting.

National authorities are inviting casino and investments firms to present several proposals in order to discuss the construction and operations of the touristic attraction. The casino cruise ships would carry visitors from North Korean eastern mountain resort zone to the Russian Far East and Southeast Asia.

The news were revealed by South Korean Yonhap news agency, which cited a local professor criticising the project and affirming it is “very unconventional.” Experts speculate that the government’s intention is to collect international currencies to face global sanctions due to the extreme restricted regime.

The exclusive casino cruise ships for foreign passengers will travel on two routes, according to the news agency. The first excursion would link the North Korean mountain resort to the Russian city of Vladivostok. The other one would also start at the mountain and would arrive to Southeast Asia.

A foreign casino company would be able to operate its services in the cruise. The government asks the investment of US$10 to US$20 million over the next 10 years. Similar services used to be held by a South Korean company, which offered excursions to the North Korean mountain resort area. The services ended in 2008 when a North Korean soldier killed a neighbour tourist during the visit.