North drops new hint of 'dear leader's' visit

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North drops new hint of 'dear leader's' visit

North Korean Foreign Minister Paek Nam-sun, currently visiting Russia, spoke of Kim Jong-il's wish to visit Seoul, again setting some hearts in Seoul aflutter at the prospect of a second inter-Korean summit.

In an interview Monday in Pyeongyang with the Russian news agency Itar-Tass, Mr. Paek said, "The promise of another inter-Korean summit has been clearly stated in the June 15 [2000] inter-Korean joint declaration."

The North Korean leader also mentioned a visit to Seoul in his meeting with South Korean Assemblywoman Park Geun-hye on May 13. He said the trip might come "at an appropriate time."

The renewed hints of a willingness to visit Seoul could be designed, some analysts believe, to rekindle the waning interest in Seoul about a trip. That interest perhaps reached its nadir when press reports suggested (but Seoul denied) that the Kim administration would be willing to settle for the visit of a lower-ranking Northern official. In summits last year with President Vladimir Putin of Russia and President Jiang Zemin of China, Mr. Kim used the formulation "when the time is right" in talking about a visit here to reciprocate for President Kim's trip to Pyeongyang in June 2000.

A Unification Ministry source said Tuesday there have been no exchanges with the North on a visit, and criticized the foreign minister's remarks as "too vague."

North Korea watchers warned that the North probably sees little to be gained in a visit before a new administration takes over in Seoul in February. "Unless it happens before September, the probability of Kim Jong-il visiting Seoul vanishes," said Lee Jong-seok, director of inter-Korean relations research at the Sejong Institute.

by Lee Young-jong

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