SEOUL, April 24 (Yonhap) -- North Korea is trying to lure more foreign tourists by developing three special tourism zones that cover two scenic mountains and one of its eastern coastal cities, a South Korean civic group said Wednesday.

Kim Kyu-chol, who heads the South-North Forum, a Seoul-based civic group seeking to promote joint inter-Korean economic projects, said the North is pushing to designate Mount Chilbo and Mount Kumgang as special tourism zones together with Wonsan, a major port city on the country's east coast.