In particular, Mt Kumgang, well-known to the Koreans and the world people, are crowded with visitors from home and abroad.

This famous mountain is located in the middle part of the Great Paektu Mountains and covers vast areas of Kosong, Kumgang and Thongchon counties of Kangwon Province.

From olden times, it has been called one of the "Eight Scenic Spots of Korea" and one of the "three mountains of god" for its magnificent, graceful and fantastic natural landscape.

Consisting of 12,000 peaks, the mountain displays picturesque sceneries with high and low peaks, fantastic rocks, deep gorges, falls and ponds, harmonized with diverse fauna and flora and sea.

So, the name of Kumgang was given to many beauty spots like "Haeso (Hwanghae) Kumgang" (Mt Jangsu), "Hamgyong Kumgang" (Mt Chilbo), "Uiju Kumgang" (Mt Soksung) and "Tongrae Kumgang" (Mt Kumjong).

Chairman Kim Jong Il visited Mt Kumgang in September Juche 95 (2006), noting that the mountain was turned into a pleasure park for the people in the era of the Workers' Party. He said that there are many beauty spots in the country with scenic mountains and clear water and it is the great pride of the Korean people that they are leading worthwhile life in the beautiful socialist country.

The area of Mt Kumgang was listed as a world biosphere sanctuary in July this year.