• Land and Housing Review
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.1-20
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• 2022

This study analyses how much Korean visits to North Korea have an impact on the North Korean regional economy. It estimates the demand for North Korean tourism via the borders of North Korea, China, and Russia and South Korean expenses to be spent in North Korea. When asked if they are willing to visit North Korea within the next five years in case the pre-conditions of the visit to North Korea are satisfied, approximately 64.1% of the survey respondents indicated 'yes'. To estimate the demand, this research employed the analysis of purchase intention, popular in marketing, based on their willingness to visit. The annual demand for tourism was 4,136,361 persons. The average estimated expense per person is KRW 1,532,000 and the total annual expense is KRW 6,336.9 billion. Assuming that airfare is excluded from the total expense and the expense is made evenly in each tourist destination, the estimated amount to be spent in North Korea is KRW 2,838.7 billion per annum. The backward linkage effect of this expense on the North Korean regional economy is KRW 7,972.1 billion in total production inducement, KRW 2,619.4 billion in value-added inducement, and approximately 2,890,443 persons in employment inducement. The value-added inducement effect is estimated to be approximately 7.6% of the North Korean nominal GDP in 2020. South Korean tourism is expected to have a significant impact on the North Korean economy. As the demand for North Korean tourism is likely to increase steadily due to the expected increase in overseas travel demand by Koreans, inter-Korean cooperation is needed for the development of North Korean tourism infrastructure if conditions improve.