Sweden's Leader To Visit 2 Koreas

Swedish Prime Minister Goran Persson will visit the two Koreas consecutively, starting with North Korea on May 2-3. He flies to South Korea May 3-4, presidential spokesman Park Joon-young said Thursday.

Mr. Persson, whose visit is the first by a Western leader, is visiting during Sweden's six-month turn to hold the presidency of the European Union. It comes amid warming relations with the European Union countries and North Korea.

Since President Kim Dae-jung's urging at the Asia-Europe Meeting held in Seoul last October, seven Union member nations have established diplomatic ties, raising the total of member nations which recognize North Korea to 13. France and Ireland are the two exceptions; neither recognizes North Korea.