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DPRK delegation meets with ROK president

(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-08-23 14:12

South Korean President Lee Myung-bak (R) talks to Kim Ki Nam (C), Secretary of the Central Committee of the ruling Workers' Party of DPRK and Kim Yang Gon (L), Department Director of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of DPRK, at the presidential Blue House in Seoul August 23, 2009. [Agencies]

The DPRK still has custody of four ROK fishermen whose boat strayed into northern waters, but announced it would allow the resumption of some joint projects suspended in the past year and the reunion of families separate during the Korean War.

Kim Dae-jung's death prompted condolences from the DPRK leader, who dispatched the high-level delegation of six to pay their respects — the first time the DPRK has sent officials to mourn a former ROK president.

Related readings:  DPRK's moves ease tensions on Korean Peninsula  ROKpresident meets DPRK delegation in Seoul  DPRK conveys Kim Jong-il's message to ROK  ROK president meets DPRK delegation: Yonhap  DPRK envoys hold talks with ROK minister

The delegation, led by senior Workers' Party official Kim Ki Nam and spy chief Kim Yang Gon, arrived Friday and went straight to the mourning site at the National Assembly. They bowed before the late leader's portrait, burned incense and shook his sons' hands.

The DPRK has sent a high-level condolence delegation only once before — for the 2001 funeral of Chung Ju-yung, founder of the ROK's Hyundai Group, which funded the first inter-Korean joint projects.

Kim's state funeral was set for 2 pm (0500 GMT; 1 am EDT) Sunday at the National Assembly. The DPRK delegation flew back to Pyongyang before the funeral.

"Thank you! Thank you! We're heading back in a positive mood," Kim Ki Nam told reporters as the delegation departed downtown Seoul to catch their flight to Pyongyang.

At the Blue House meeting, the DPRK delegation explained Kim Jong-il's thoughts on "progress on inter-Korean cooperation," Lee's spokesman said. The spokesman said he could not provide an exact quote of Kim Jong Il's message because of the sensitivity of the matter.

Lee, in response, detailed his government's "consistent and firm" policy on the DPRK, and asked them to convey his comments to Kim, the spokesman said. The ROK president also reiterated the need for "sincere" dialogue.

The DPRK delegation replied they wished the two nations would cooperate and resolve all pending issues, he said.

However, in a reminder of the tensions, the DPRK's Rodong Sinmun newspaper warned in an editorial Sunday of "merciless, immediate" strikes if provoked by the ROK and the United States, which are holding joint military exercise in the ROK.

Washington and Seoul call the drills routine exercises. The US has 28,500 troops in the ROK.

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