Union Group Off to Pyongyang Tuesday

Eleven representatives of the Federation of Korean Trade Unions will visit Pyongyang at the invitation of the North's General Federation of Korean Trade Unions from next Tuesday to Friday, the South Korean group announced Thursday.

The visit will mark the fist civilian visit to North Korea since a number of civic group representatives drew the ire of conservatives in Seoul with their actions at the August 15 Liberation Day celebrations in Pyongyang. The controversy led to a no-confidence vote against and resignation of former Unification Minister Lim Dong-won.

The South Korean side also plans to seek a change to the North Korean group's position on the nature of future reunification.

"We plan to propose to the North removing the clause on reunification by federation based on North Korean ideology from its draft statement" and replacing it with something more neutral, a Federation official said.

by Kim Ki-chan