"We don't think all Americans are bad," one young woman said. "We don't like the American government."

At one point, we asked a young man if he thought the United States would attack North Korea. He explained that while America is so big and North Korea is so small, the only reason it doesn't attack is because current dictator Kim Jong Il is such a great and powerful leader.

Small talk and personal questions, however, seemed to puzzle them. They found questions about how much they earn and how they live irrelevant.

One young woman told me she was happy and satisfied with her life as we walked down the trail at the end of the day. She gave me a handful of candy before we parted.

Visitors, who are bused in daily, are not allowed to leave the confines of the resort area, except for the hiking trails. Tour buses are restricted to the "Tourist Road" built by Hyundai Asan.

Shabby-looking North Korean villages just beyond the fenced perimeter where farmers tend to rice and other crops are off limits. Signs warn visitors to refrain from taking photos outside the tightly controlled environment. North Korean soldiers scan the landscape from guard shacks and platforms.

All the restrictions and politics aside, the scenery at North Korea's most treasured natural attraction rivals that of any national park in the United States.

There are six different hiking routes, or courses, as the Koreans call them, ranging in distance from 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) to 15 kilometers (9.3 miles) round trip. Tree-lined trails lead to mountain peaks, picturesque waterfalls and the gentle shore of the Sea of Japan. Hikers may encounter rock carvings, Buddhist temples and walking bridges.

For relaxation after a day on the mountain, the resort offers a hot springs spa, Chinese massage, a North Korean acrobatic show and North Korean folk music.

North Korean products like traditional wines, ginseng tea and pine pollen honey sit alongside designer jewelry and cosmetics in the South Korean duty-free shops.

There is another North-South joint effort worth visiting at Mount Kumgang, unusual because it involves religion.

South Korean monks, with some North Korean labor, are rebuilding a Buddhist temple destroyed by U.S. warplanes in 1951. An 85-year-old female monk, the last survivor of the bombing, is among those living there. Temples on the site date back to 519.

The main shrine at Shingyesa is complete, while the housing quarters are scheduled to be finished this year. Due to ideological differences, North Korea might not allow the monks to occupy it permanently. The communist regime has long been hostile toward houses of worship.

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On the Net:

Web sites: www.hyundai-asan.com (English version available); www.mtkumgang.com

E-mail: romboy@desnews.com