vlad.tribnet.com / Issue #146 / Business / Reading article...

North Korea will open airline offices in Vladivostok soon, an aviation official said July 10.

Chong Yong Il, deputy director of external relations in the country's civil aviation department, said he has "official permission" to close offices in Khabarovsk and move them to Vladivostok. Flights already go from Pyongyang to China and Bangkok, said Gennady Nesov, the krai's head of transportation. The airline, Air Koryo, will fly once a week, carrying an estimated 15 to 20 passengers at first, Chong said. He said Air Koryo will also offer charter and cargo flights.

As for financing, Chong said he is just an aviator, but that since the company is government-owned, funding is guaranteed. Nesov said there is concern about financing, but that "Primorye is always ready to help a business partner."

The move is a step by North Korea to lay the groundwork for the Tumangan cooperative trade project, said Nesov in a phone interview. The project envisions a trading area stretching from Primorye to Japan.