Special Envoy Lim Dong-Won to Visit North on 3rd, Carrying President Kim`s Letter

The date when Lim Dong-Won, Special Advisor to the President on Foreign affairs, National Security and Unification will visit the North as a special envoy of the President, Kim Dae Jung, is confirmed on the 3rd of April.

Special envoy Lim will start for Pyong Yang from Seoul airport via west sea direct route, carrying President Kim`s letter and will return to Seoul on 5th or 6th.

Special envoy Lim met press on 28th and said, “length of my stay in the North is schedule for two nights and three days, however it can be changed to 3 nights and 4 days.”

“It can stretch” and, “ I will carry President Kim`s letter during my visit, however, I can`t reveal the contents in advance”

He stated, “ it is impossible for this visit to be used for the purpose of politics or to be a show like event” and “to start new thing between the South-North is impossible and I will focus on re-opening the pending issues”.

Park Jong-Woo, Chairman of policy committee of MDP said, “It should not block the opportunity to visit each other during World Cup in South and Arirang festival in North” but Jung Woo-Taek, Chairman of Policy Planning Committee of the United Liberal Democrats (ULD), said “there should not be an agreement for supporting the North like providing huge tourists connecting international sports festival World Cup to Arirang, which would be a political propaganda of the North”.

Chol-Hi Lee klimt@donga.com