Abe may come here in mid-October

President Roh Moo-hyun and Japan’s prime minister, Shinzo Abe, will meet “by the middle of next month, after the Chuseok holidays,” a senior Blue House official said privately yesterday. The comments signaled an end to Mr. Roh’s refusal to meet a Japanese leader.
Another official here said earlier yesterday that Tokyo had proposed next Saturday for a meeting of the two men, to be followed by a similar meeting of the Chinese and Japanese leaders the following day.
The senior Blue House official said the meeting of the two leaders would be held in Seoul.
Mr. Roh and Mr. Abe agreed to meet “at a proper time” on Thursday, in their first phone conversation after Mr. Abe’s election by the lower house of the Japanese Diet.
The official said the meeting could take place before Oct. 20, adding that plans are also being made for a meeting of China’s president, Hu Jintao, and Mr. Roh in mid-October.

by Chun Su-jin