Prime Minister: Presidential Visit to the North Would Not Be Appropriate

Prime Minister: Presidential Visit to the North Would Not Be Appropriate

Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan said yesterday that “it is not appropriate for the president to pay an adventurous visit to North Korea,” and added, “It is time for North Korean leader Kim Jong-il to pay a return visit to South Korea,” regarding the promotion of a second inter-Korean summit.

After saying this during the National Assembly government Q&A session on unification, diplomacy, and security, Lee said, “The President’s visit to North Korea needs advance preparations, which can help settle the North Korean nuclear issue or improve inter-Korean relationships. The meeting itself can’t be an object.”

“An inter-Korean summit meeting itself has symbolic meaning, but I’m concerned about reverse progress occurring if the summit results are not good,” said Lee, and added, “an inter-Korean summit should be held on the grounds of settlement of the North Korean nuclear issues and the conversion of North Korea’s policy to a more open one.”

Lee made it clear that he would be free from the site for the summit, saying, “It is not desirable for a decision on holding a summit to be dependent on site arrangements. The important thing is what should be accomplished there.”

Unification Minister Chung Dong-young said, “I don’t have any intention to politically take advantage of Kim Jong-il’s return trip to the South,” and added, “I will positively raise this issue through inter-Korean channels, including a ministerial-level discussion next month, and request that the North review this matter.”

Asked a question, from Uri Party lawmaker Yang Hyung-il, about the contents of a signed letter from U.S. President George W. Bush, conveyed when the U.S. National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice visited Korea, that allegedly said: “It’s not desirable to have an inter-Korean summit before the U.S. presidential election in November,” Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon replied by saying, “I don’t know about that and it’s not true.”

Defense Minister Cho Young-kil said yesterday, “I don’t think that disadvantageous conditions will be created in terms of military operations just because the administrative capital is moving to another region besides Seoul.”

Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan said yesterday that “it is not appropriate for the president to pay an adventurous visit to North Korea,” and added, “It is time for North Korean leader Kim Jong-il to pay a return visit to South Korea,” regarding the promotion of a second inter-Korean summit.

After saying this during the National Assembly government Q&A session on unification, diplomacy, and security, Lee said, “The President’s visit to North Korea needs advance preparations, which can help settle the North Korean nuclear issue or improve inter-Korean relationships. The meeting itself can’t be an object.”

“An inter-Korean summit meeting itself has symbolic meaning, but I’m concerned about reverse progress occurring if the summit results are not good,” said Lee, and added, “an inter-Korean summit should be held on the grounds of settlement of the North Korean nuclear issues and the conversion of North Korea’s policy to a more open one.”

Lee made it clear that he would be free from the site for the summit, saying, “It is not desirable for a decision on holding a summit to be dependent on site arrangements. The important thing is what should be accomplished there.”

Unification Minister Chung Dong-young said, “I don’t have any intention to politically take advantage of Kim Jong-il’s return trip to the South,” and added, “I will positively raise this issue through inter-Korean channels, including a ministerial-level discussion next month, and request that the North review this matter.”

Asked a question, from Uri Party lawmaker Yang Hyung-il, about the contents of a signed letter from U.S. President George W. Bush, conveyed when the U.S. National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice visited Korea, that allegedly said: “It’s not desirable to have an inter-Korean summit before the U.S. presidential election in November,” Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon replied by saying, “I don’t know about that and it’s not true.”

Defense Minister Cho Young-kil said yesterday, “I don’t think that disadvantageous conditions will be created in terms of military operations just because the administrative capital is moving to another region besides Seoul.”

Young-Chan Yoon Min-Hyuk Park yyc11@donga.com mhpark@donga.com