500 Gather For 6.15 Mt. Keumkang Forum

For the celebration of the 1st anniversary of the 6.15 Joint South-North Declaration, 500-600 people of the two Koreas will participate in the `Grand Forum for the National Reunification,` which is to be held at Mt. Keumkang, June 15.

`2001 Joint Events Headquarter for the Practice of the 6.15 Joint South-North Declaration,` including Korean Council for Reconciliation and Cooperation, and 7 major religions, announced yesterday that they will hold a grand forum for the national reunification, a joint climbing of Mt. Keumkang, and the performance of the Pyongyang Acrobatic Troupe.

The delegation, who had just returned from their visit to the North, said that the Joint Headquarter agreed on the programs with the 6 representatives of the North Association for the National Reconciliation and Cooperation, including vice-chairperson Huh Hyuk-Pil, at a working group meeting at Mt. Keumkang on June 4-5. And they will meet with the North again to discuss the detail timetable on June 13.

According to a source of delegation, the slogan of the grand forum for the national reunification, which is to be held at the plaza of the Mt. Keumkang Hotel, will be `6.15 joint declaration and the task of the nation.` 200 people from the South and the North respectively will participate in the forum and additional 200 South citizens will be allowed to join the forum as visitors.

The South participants are to depart from the Tonghae harbor on June 14 and will return on 16th after two day activities in the North.

A related official said that the North would not send invitations to individuals, rather the Joint Headquarter is to select the participants among the members of the parties, social organizations, and religious organizations.

Kim Young-Sik spear@donga.com