Koizumi to Visit Korea from 21st to 23rd

Japanese Prime Minister Koizumi Junichiro will officially visit Korea from 21st to 23rd by the invitation of Korea President Kim Dae-Jung, announced Presidential spokesperson Park Sun-Sook on the 13th. President Kim and Prime Minister Koizumi will have a summit talks on the 22nd, and discuss security of Korean peninsula and northeastern Asia, co-hosting World Cup game and cooperative measures for successful `Year of Korea-Japan exchange`.

As these two summits will examine the implementation of agreement they made at Korea-Japan summit talks in Shanhai China in October last year, it attracts attention whether further agreement to be made on △ distorted history textbook, △ worship at Yasukuni Shrine and △ saury fishery.

During the visiting Korea, Prime Minister Koizumi will meet Korean Prime Minister Lee Han-Dong and the representatives of 3 ruling and opposition parties, and visit historic sites in Gyeongju.

Chol-Hi Lee klimt@donga.com