Im Dong-won President’s Special Envoy Visits Pyongyang Jan.27

President Kim Dae-jung will dispatch Im Dong-won presidential advisor for unification, foreign relation, and security as presidential envoy to North Korea on Jan. 27 in a bid to find solutions to the latest U.S.-North Korea unclear standoff. The envoy’s visit to Pyongyang will last for 3 days and fly to Seoul Jan. 29.

Park Sun-sook presidential press secretary announced Jan.24 President Kim’s decision to send his special envoy to the North, saying, “The President’s decision on dispatching a special envoy to Pyongyang is the result of a negotiated agreement between Seoul and Pyongyang and the purpose of the special envoy’s visit is to discuss the North’s nuclear issue, inter-Korean relations and other pressing issues on the Korean Peninsular.

It has been known that during the scheduled visit to the North, presidential envoy Im Dong-won is expected to meet with Kim Jong-il, Chairman of the North Korean Defense Committee and will deliver President Kim’s letter concerning the nuclear issue to the North Korean leader.

Rhee Chong-suk, member of the subcommittee on diplomacy, unification, and security at the president-elect Roh’s transition team and Im Sung-jun, presidential senior secretary for foreign relations and security will accompany special envoy Im Dong-won in the planned visit to the North.

Through the letter, President Kim will explain South Korea has made vigorous diplomatic efforts to resolve the North’s nuclear issue peacefully through dialogue in conjunction with the U.S., Japan, China, Russia, and the E.U. and urge the North to take a “verifiable action” to defuse tensions caused by its latest nuclear-related moves on the peninsular, which has been known. The presidential press secretary added, “President Kim’s decision on dispatching his special envoy is part of South Korea’s stepped-up diplomatic efforts to find a peaceful solution to the nuclear crisis through direct inter-Korean dialogue.”

It has been reported that the Seoul government had suggested Jan.10 the dispatch of an envoy to the North and the North expressed its willingness to accept the South’s proposal during inter-Korean cabinet-level talks held in Seoul Jan.21-24. The presidential press secretary was also quoted as saying that the Seoul government had close consultations on the dispatch of the envoy to the North with Seoul’s close allies, such as the U.S. and Japan, before the final decision.

A government official said that the president’s special envoy will head for North Korea through a direct route in the West Sea in the morning Jan. 27 and return to Seoul on Jan. 29., but the scheduled return of the special envoy may be delayed to one day or so depending on the situation.

Meanwhile, the North’s Pyongyang broadcasting network reported Jan.24 that South Korea’s presidential special envoy Im Dong-won will visit the North from Jan. 27 at the request of the Seoul government.

Seung-Mo Yoon ysmo@donga.com