North Korea's Premier Kim Tok-hun, second from left, is at the Mount Kumgang region development site in Gangwon Province, with a map behind partially titled "Mount Kumgang tourism district development plan," according to North Korean newspaper Rodong Shimmun's report on Sunday. Capture from Rodong Shimmun's homepage

North Korea's Premier Kim Tok-hun visited the Mount Kumgang region on the country's eastern coast and called for building a modern and all-inclusive international tourist area "our own way," state media reported Sunday.

The visit, which came despite a nationwide fight against the coronavirus pandemic, suggests that the North could seek to develop the mountain resort in earnest under a new five-year economic development plan expected to be unveiled at a Workers' Party congress set for next month.

Premier Kim "called for pushing ahead with the development project of turning Mt. Kumgang area into modern and all-inclusive international tourist and cultural area under yearly and phased plans," the Korean Central News Agency said.

"He stressed the need to build the tourist area our own way in which national character and modernity are combined while in good harmony with the natural scenery of the diamond mountain so as to turn the famous mountain of the nation into the one well-known for serving the people and a cultural resort envied by the whole world," the KCNA said.