The visit comes amid a flurry of diplomatic efforts to ease tensions on the Korean Peninsula over North Korea's two deadly attacks on the South last year, and revive stalled international talks on the North's nuclear weapons programs.
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Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter (C) is greeted by North Korean officials on arriving at a Pyongyang airport on April 26. (AP-Yonhap) |
The North's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported Carter's arrival in a brief dispatch, but did not elaborate on his schedule in Pyongyang.
The former leaders said in a statement in Beijing on Monday that they "aim to see how we may be of assistance in reducing tensions and help the parties address key issues including denuclearization."
Carter also expressed hope for a meeting with Kim and his heir-apparent son, Kim Jong-un, though he said he has yet to hear from North Korea whether such a meeting has been arranged.
The KCNA reported early Tuesday that the senior Kim attended an art performance in Pyongyang along with his son and other top officials, without elaborating on when the performance was held.
Still, the Pyongyang-datelined report indicates that the two Kims could be staying in the North Korean capital, a development that may lead to Carter's meeting with the reclusive North Korean leader.
Carter has often acted as a diplomatic troubleshooter. In 1994, he met with then-North Korean leader Kim Il-sung, the late father of the current leader, and brokered a U.S.-North Korea nuclear deal that eventually unraveled.
Last August, Carter secured the freedom of a detained American during his trip to Pyongyang, though he could not meet with Kim Jong-il as the North Korean leader had traveled to China for a meeting with Chinese President Hu Jintao.
It's not clear whether Carter can bring home another detained American during this week's trip. Carter has said his group does not have immediate plans for a meeting with North Korean authorities on the possible release of Jun Young-su, a detained American. Jun is the fifth American detained by North Korea in recent years. The North has released four Americans.
South Korea's Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan told reporters he does not have "high expectations" over whether Carter could make North Korea change its attitude. Kim also urged North Korea to directly talk to South Korea, noting that there is no need to send a message through a third party or civilians as various channels for dialogue are open between Seoul and Pyongyang.
The trip comes amid diplomatic moves by regional powers to revive the six-nation nuclear stalled since 2008. The talks include the two Koreas, the United States, China, Russia and Japan.
Top Chinese nuclear envoy Wu Dawei arrived in Seoul on Tuesday for talks with his South Korean counterpart. "I came to coordinate the positions of China and South Korea on the situation of the Korean Peninsula and the six-way talks," Wu said after arriving in South Korea. The Chinese envoy also said he met with Carter and his delegation on Monday night in Beijing, though he did not give any further details.
In a related move, a South Korean delegation is visiting Washington Tuesday for talks with U.S. officials to discuss the nuclear talks and other bilateral and regional issues.
The flurry of meetings comes as the North has not shown any indication that it will take any steps over its two deadly attacks on South Korea last year that killed 50 South Koreans.
The North's refusal to take responsible actions over its provocations has been a major stumbling block to improving inter-Korean relations and resuming the disarmament-for-aid talks.
Carter is expected to meet with South Korean officials in Seoul Thursday after his trip to Pyongyang, though it remains unclear whether President Lee Myung-bak will meet the former U.S. president amid conflicting views on the nature of his trip to the North.
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