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NORTH KOREA THIS WEEK NO. 467 (September 20, 2007)
*** INTER-KOREAN RELATIONS
S. Korean advance team in Pyongyang to survey venues for inter-Korean summit
SEOUL (Yonhap) -- A group of 35 South Korean officials on Sept. 18 headed to the North Korean capital of Pyongyang to work out the details of the Oct. 2-4 inter-Korean summit between the leaders of the two Koreas.
During the four-day visit, the advance party is to finalize the itinerary and venues, as well as arrangements for accommodations and tourist locations based on previously made tentative agreements.
The advance team, led by Vice Unification Minister Lee Kwan-se, was driven from the North's border city of Kaesong to Pyongyang in North Korean vehicles. They arrived at the Koryo Hotel in Pyongyang around 12:30 p.m. after having crossed the heavily fortified border dividing the two Koreas at 9 a.m.
In addition, a personal driver for the South Korean president was allowed to drive to Pyongyang in a South Korean vehicle to check road conditions.
"A test call was also made from here to Pyongyang at 2 p.m. to check the phone lines," Unification Minister Lee Jae-joung said in a meeting with U.S. Ambassador to Seoul Alexander Vershbow.
The survey team will return to Seoul on Sept. 21, while another advance team is scheduled to leave for Pyongyang on Sept. 27, according to ministry officials.
Roh will travel to North Korea's capital for the planned inter-Korean summit along with a total of 150 delegates, including a 13-member official delegation consisting of Cabinet members and presidential aides who will assist him.
Delegates will include 47 leaders from all walks of life, including 17 business and financial leaders, 21 social and cultural leaders, six political leaders and three female leaders. South Korean officials explained that the list of names, which was unveiled last week, includes many business leaders because of the importance of inter-Korean economic cooperation.
The upcoming inter-Korean summit, the second of its kind, was postponed from late August due to severe flood damage in North Korea. The first summit meeting was held in 2000 between then South Korean President Kim Dae-jung and the Kim Jong-il.
The Seoul government will push for Roh and his entourage to watch North Korea's pro-communist propaganda festival, Arirang, on the sidelines of the inter-Korean summit in Pyongyang.
The Arirang festival, which features a pro-unification mass gymnastics performance, has been popular among both Western and South Korean visitors. Sections of the gymnastics performance are said to contain contents idolizing the North's deceased founder Kim Il-sung and his son, North Korean leader Kim Jong-il.
"The Arirang festival is the pride of North Korea. We have to respect such aspects. The (South Korean) government will consider Roh's observation of the performance if such a request is made by the North," Unification Minister Lee said on Sept. 18.
Roh's spokesman Cheon Ho-seon also gave a similar answer during his daily media briefing. "The Arirang festival is one of several options under consideration for Roh's non-summit itinerary," he said.
Meanwhile, officials at the presidential office, Cheong Wa Dae, said that Roh may visit the North's industrial complex in the border town of Kaesong on his way back home on Oct. 4.
"The government will push for Roh's visit to the Kaesong industrial park on his way back to Seoul Oct. 4. But the North has yet to give a clear response," said a Cheong Wa Dae official.
(END)
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