N.K. invites Southern leaders to Workers¡¯ Party anniv.

North Korea sent invitation letters to government agencies, six political parties and 22 civic organizations through liaison offices in the truce village of Panmunjeom Tuesday on the occasion of the 55th founding anniversary of the North`s ruling Workers` Party on Oct. 10.

The invitation letters, 30 in total, carry the contents of the decision made at the joint conference between representatives of the government and the communist party held in Pyongyang on Sept. 29.

In the letters, the North contended that, if the South Korean people of various strata visit Pyongyang and spend the festive day with the people there, hopes for national unification will get a boost. The invitation letters also said that the South Koreans can come to the North Korean capital via a South Korean airliner, or if this is difficult, the North is ready to send a plane, adding that the South Koreans may fly into Pyongyang via a third country.

To the North Korean initiative, the government authorities said that the matter needs to be considered in view of the public¡¯s increasingly positive sentiment on inter-Korean reconciliation and cooperation, and the national feelings and political impact stemming from the participation in the Workers` Party festival. However, the decision to accept the invitations and the government`s authorization of them will be made after prudent studies.

Meanwhile, the ruling Millennium Democratic Party and the opposition Grand National Party made it clear they would reject the invitations.

Kim Young-Sik spear@donga.com