Mt. Baekdu (aka Mt. Paektu), Korea’s tallest mountain and the setting for much of North Korea’s mythology (such as Kim Il-Sung’s guerrilla warfare staging grounds and the alleged birthplace of Kim Jong-Il) is peaking the interest of scientists on both sides of the Korea peninsula. In the midst of the Japan’s devastating earthquake, and after seismic activity in recent years, North Korea has asked the South for assistance in assessing the volcano’s status. South Korea has sent back a message agreeing in principle that cooperation is necessary. A meeting on March 29th between volcano experts has been proposed, but North Korea has yet to comment.
Mt. Baekdu is split down the middle on the Chinese/North Korean border and is known as Changbai in China. The move is seen by North Korea experts to be a push on both sides to open communication channels between the rival states.
Source: Associated Press
