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National Intelligence Service Chief Kim Man-bok made a secret visit to Pyongyang on Dec. 18, the day before South Korea's presidential election, it was emerged on Thursday.
The NIS said that during his one-day stay the NIS director installed a stone marker for a pine tree that President Roh Moo-hyun planted at Pyongyang Central Botanical Garden during the inter-Korean summit in October.
However, a South Korean intelligence official claimed that the NIS head was in Pyongyang to discuss a proposed visit to South Korea by Kim Yong-nam, president of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of North Korea.
He said he was skeptical that the top North Korean government official would actually make the visit, and added that it would be unlikely for the South Korean spy chief to visit the North just to install a marker.
The NIS denied that its chief visited North Korea to discuss a visit by Kim Yong-nam. Roh and Kim planted the tree to commemorate the inter-Korean summit on Oct. 4. A marker was not installed at the time.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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