South Korean Ruling Party Head Plans to Visit North for Talks on Summit

Excerpt from report in English by South Korean news agency Yonhap

Seoul, 17 October: The head of South Korea’s governing Uri Party, Rep. Moon Hee-sang, has told North Korea of his wish to visit the communist state for discussions on a second inter-Korean summit, his aide claimed Monday [17 October].

The aide said Rep. Kim Jae-hong conveyed the party chairman’s wish to Pyongyang during his visit there last month. The ruling party legislator led an eight-member delegation of the country’s ruling and opposition lawmakers to the North on 5-8 September for discussions on the joint production of a North Korean opera.

“I understand (Rep. Kim) has relayed Moon’s wish to visit North Korea to the vice-chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme People’s Assembly, Kim Yong-dae,” the aide said.

The remarks came amid news reports that South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun may be seeking to visit the North next year to hold a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-il.

The reclusive North Korean leader had promised to visit Seoul to reciprocate former South Korean President Kim Dae-jung’s visit to Pyongyang for the first-ever inter-Korean summit in June 2000.

An official at the presidential office of Chongwadae [ROK presidential offices] has reportedly said that the president plans to visit Pyongyang for a second inter-Korean summit, instead of waiting for the North Korean leader to visit. [passage omitted]