Legal Frameworks of Property Reclamation and Reconciliation: The Case of Kum Kang Mountain Resorts

Legal Frameworks of Property Reclamation and Reconciliation: The Case of Kum Kang Mountain Resorts

The purpose of the study is to predict the future of Kum Kang Mountain (KKM) resort from the perspective of international property law with a particular emphasis on legal frameworks of property rights. The recent political movement in North Korea signals the expropriation of private property rights and an intention to nationalize capital and facilities. The prediction utilizes an analysis of various property expropriation cases as models. In particular, the case of Cyprus demonstrates specific areas of interest such as politics, sociocultural affairs, property disputes and tourism collaboration comparable with the KKM resort. Cases of war, migration, property expropriation and reconciliation, and attempted restoration of property are examined. The study also provides fundamental principles and rules of international property rights as they relate to the legality of expropriation. Preventive mechanisms and proactive ways to cope with expropriation risks are investigated. An evaluation of the current nature of the KKM resort shows that there are reasons to be optimistic about recovery for the property rather than pessimistic. However, the problems faced by the KKM resort must not be viewed solely from the perspective of tourism or the economy of North Korea. The recovery of the resort ought to be considered as a preliminary step in achieving the future unification of the Korean peninsula.