South Korean 'shot dead in North'

A South Korean woman has been shot dead by a North Korean soldier while visiting a resort in the North Korean mountains, reports say.

The shooting took place at the Kumgang resort on the east coast.

The circumstances surrounding the shooting of the woman, said to be in her 50s, are not yet clear.

The resort is run by an affiliate of South Korea's Hyundai Group and has attracted more than one million South Korean visitors since 1998.

Reports quoting the South Korean news agency Yonhap and the Hyundai Asan tour company suggest the woman was shot after straying into a restricted military area.

Officials from the South's ministry of unification are said to be looking into the incident, but there has as yet been no official comment.

The Kumgang mountain resort offers South Koreans hotels, stores, a golf course and a spa. But it is also situated in a strategic naval zone and has a heavy military presence.

It is one of two North Korean tourist programs run by the company.