Albright to Visit Korea

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade announced that U.S. Secretary of State Madeline Albright will visit South Korea on June 23. She is to meet President Kim Dae-jung after first meeting with Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Lee Jeoung-bin.

According to Kyoto News, Secretary Albright agreed with Chinese President Jiang Zemin that the two countries would work together to improve relations between the two Koreas.

Secretary Albright also added at the press conference after the meeting that the U.S. troops stationed in South Korea are integral to stability in the region. She said during the meetings with South Korean leaders on June 23, a decrease of U.S. troops will not be on the agenda. However, China's Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan asked the U.S. to get rid of the National Missile Defense(NMD) and Theater Missile Defense(TMD) programs since the level of tension has dropped in the Korean peninsula.

by Lee Chul-hee