President Kim's Talks with NK Leader in New York Canceled

Talks between top leaders of the two Koreas aimed at seeking ways to continue the inter-Korean cooperation born with the June 15 South-North agreement have been canceled, the ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said on Tuesday.

Officials said that North Korea's ceremonial head of state, Kim Yong-nam's visit to New York for the UN Millennium summit has been canceled indefinitely, due to "problems in passing the boarding process in Frankfurt."

The meeting between the two heads would have marked the first of its kind between top leaders of the Koreas.

Officials said President Kim and North Korea's Kim, chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly, were scheduled to review the progress in inter-Korean relations since the June 13-15 summit in Pyongyang.

Both sides were also expected to discuss reunions of separated families and other developments in inter-Korean relations including the re-linking of severed railways.

President Kim and First Lady Lee Hee-ho arrived in New York early Sept. 6 to attend the U.N. Millennium Summit, which will be held Wednesday through Friday in New York.

by Kim Jin-kook