 | |
Kim Yang-gon, the director of the United Front Department of the North Korea's Workers' Party.
|
 |
|
The senior North Korean official in charge of South Korean affairs arrives for a surprise three-day visit to Seoul on Thursday. The National Intelligence Service reportedly took the initiative in arranging the visit of Kim Yang-gon (69), the director of the United Front Department of the North Korea's Workers' Party. He will likely meet with President Roh Moo-hyun.
A five-man North Korean delegation including Kim will arrive in the South by the overland route to ˇ°make an interim evaluation of the implementation of the matters agreed at the inter-Korean summit" in October and to inspect the needed facilities here, Unification Minister Lee Jae-joung told reporters Wednesday.
But observers wonder why Kim is coming to Seoul with only 20 days left before the presidential election. Speculation ranges widely. They say Kim either has an urgent message from North Korean leader Kim Jong-il or is coming to observe presidential election campaign; or is here to prepare for a possible visit to Seoul by Kim Yong-nam, president of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of North Korea.
Pressed on the point, Lee said, "Kim Yang-gon and the North Korean delegates will meet senior South Korean officials and other people involved in the inter-Korean economic cooperation projects and discuss ways to implement the matters agreed at the summit." The minister denied Kim was coming as a special envoy Kim Jong-il but was rather invited by the unification minister and NIS Director Kim Man-bok. Kim's predecessor, Kim Yong-sun, who died in 2003, came to Seoul in September 2000 as a special envoy of Kim Jong-il. One South Korean official said, "We can say that Kim Yang-gon is indeed a special envoy of chairman Kim." This is only the second visit to Seoul by the director of the KWP United Front Department, following his predecessor's.
Kim arrives at the Customs, Immigration and Quarantine Office in Dorasan around 9:30 a.m. along with other delegates including Choi Seung-chul, deputy chief of the KWP United Front Department. Vice Unification Minister Lee Kwan-se and Seo Hoon, the head of North Korean affairs at the NIS, will meet Kim and his delegation there. A Unification Ministry official said Kim will hold formal talks with the unification minister and the NIS director on the day.
Meanwhile, Roh has sent a verbal message of thanks to Kim Jong-il through Defense Minister Kim Jang-soo, who is in Pyongyang for talks with his counterpart, for North Korea's support for Yeosu's 2012 World Expo bid, presidential spokesman Cheon Ho-seon said.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
|
