Hwang Jang-yeop Invited to Visit U.S. on June 20

Hwang Jang-yop, former secretary of the North’s ruling Workers’ Party, is to visit Washington on June 20. He was invited by the Defense Forum Foundation in the U.S. Government agencies are awaiting Hwang’s decision as to whether he will visit Washington.

“William Meaden Dorf, chief executive officer of the Defense Forum Foundation announced on May 16 at a Defense Forum meeting held in the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington that Hwang, the honorary chairman of the association of defectors of North Korea, would attend the ordinary meeting to be held on May 20 at the same place,” said Korean-American human rights activist Nam Sin-U on May 17.

“The Defense Forum Foundation also invited Hwang to Washington last year, but the Kim Dae Jung administration did not permit the visit. I believe the new Korean administration will co-operate this time,” said Nam quoting Dorf.

It was reported that the Defense Forum Foundation, which is actively working to secure Hwang`s visit to the U.S., extended the invitation to Hwang in February and also had talks with Hwang in Seoul in March confirming his willingness to visit the U.S.

Hwang sent letters to officials in the U.S. administration and Congress including Secretary of State Colin Powell, chairman of the Senate`s international affairs committee Sen. Richard Lugar, chairman of the House International Relations Committee Henry Hyde, and Rep. Christopher Cox to ask for support on his visit to the U.S. Hwang also recently met with Na Jong-il, presidential aide for national security to express his intention to visit the U.S.

“Hwang applied for his passport at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade right after he got the invitation from the Defense Forum. The passport however, has not been issued yet as of early May, as the National Intelligence Service has not permitted an inquiry into Hwang’s identity,” Nam said.