Promising More Openness In Contacts With Pyongyang

The South Korean government plans to increase transparency in its contacts with North Korea, including preparations for the planned visit to Seoul by Kim Jong-il, officials said Friday.

The government's new foreign policy team made the decision during a National Security Council meeting, which was presided over by Lim Dong-won, the new unification minister.

Asserting that South Koreans are no longer convinced just because unification is a good cause, Mr. Lim said, "We must make an effort to seek active support from the people."

"This year, which includes a visit by the North Korean leader and the launching of several major inter-Korean projects, like the Kaesong industrial complex, will be a turning point in inter-Korean reconciliation and cooperation," he said.

"We plan to proceed with our policy toward the North by seeking bipartisan cooperation and convergence of public opinion."

Participants in the meeting, which included Foreign Minister Han Seung-soo, expressed concern over the North's cancellation of cabinet-level talks with the South earlier this month.

Analysts said that one of the government's concerns is the disappointment many South Koreans have voiced over the North's cancellation of a number of commitments with the South.

The North has yet to respond to a proposal to hold inter-Korean Red Cross talks in Seoul next week.

In other developments, Nam-kung Jin, senior presidential secretary for political affairs, dismissed speculation that South Korea's intelligence service would meddle in the nation's political affairs.

The National Intelligence Service "is only trying to activate a system to provide advance information," Mr. Nam said.

Shin Kuhn, the director general of the service, made his first weekly report to President Kim Dae-jung on Friday.

by Lee Young-jong