Nat`l Security Advisor Rah Visiting Russia and China

Presidential National Security Secretary (i.e. advisor in US) Rah Jong-Il left yesterday for Russia and China for a series of meetings with two countries` officials regarding the North Korean nuclear standoff.

Rah is expected to have meetings with senior officials in Russia on March 31 and April 1. Then, he will visit China for the next two days and discuss various issues concerning the nuclear issue, confirmed Blue House spokeswoman Song Kyung-hee. Prior to Rah, Foreign Affairs Minister Yoon Young-kwon visited Washington and Tokyo, and suggested a multilateral approach for a resolution of the crisis. In turn, Rah will tap into the intentions of the two countries.

Jeong-Hun Kim jnghn@donga.com