Permission for Condolence Visits for Late North Korean Leader’s Tenth Anniversary Under Consideration

In celebration of the tenth anniversary of the late North Korean leader Kim Il-sung’s death on July 8, Reunification Minister Chung Sae-hyun said on June 24 that the government will discuss with related agencies in consideration of the South-North relationship, and examine the possibility of granting permission if some civic groups apply for visits to North Korea to attend the memorial service.

In a regular briefing session, Chung said, “It is an issue that should take consideration of the aspects such as interchange cooperation law, public sentiment and the reconcilable and cooperative relationship between South and North, while still cognizant of the tense situation.”

“Certain groups may have another purpose other than attending the memorial ceremony,” said the Minister. “It is an issue difficult to simply say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to. The situation now is different from ten years ago.”

As for the possibility of a summit between North Korea and Russia, Chung explained, “From an economic perspective, North Korea may require assistance from outside as it starts to move and come to life. Therefore, the two leaders will need to talk again.” However, he added that there is no way to verify whether Russian President Vladimir Putin would possibly meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-il on his way to visit a military base which is located in the easternmost region of the country.

Seung-Ryun Kim srkim@donga.com