Carter's team starts 3-day trip to DPRK
Source: Agencies |
April 27, 2011, Wednesday
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FORMER United States president Jimmy Carter and three other former heads of state embarked yesterday on a three-day mission to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, where they plan to discuss dangerous food shortages and stalled nuclear disarmament talks.
Children presented flowers to Carter, former Finnish president Martti Ahtisaari, former Norwegian prime minister Gro Brundtland and former Irish president Mary Robinson at Pyongyang airport, and the group was greeted by Vice Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho.
The former leaders didn't know ahead of their three-day trip who they would meet with, but said they hoped to have talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Il and his son and heir apparent Kim Jong Un. The delegation was not expected to speak to the press until it reaches Seoul tomorrow.
Also likely on the agenda is the dismal relationship between North and South Korea that has hampered efforts to restart talks on persuading North Korea to abandon its atomic weapons ambitions.
Before flying from Beijing to Pyongyang, Carter told South Korea's Yonhap news agency that he didn't intend to raise the case of Jun Young Su, a Korean-American being held in North Korea, reportedly on charges of carrying out missionary activity. Carter flew to North Korea last year to free another American jailed in Pyongyang.
South Korea reacted coolly to the trip. "We don't have high expectations," South Korean Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan said, when asked if the Carter visit might change North Korea's attitude. "I don't think it's necessary for North Korea to talk to us through a third party."
It is not the first time Carter has traveled to North Korea during a period of high tension. In 1994, the ex-president met with then-leader Kim Il Sung, Kim Jong Il's father, and helped broker a US-North Korea nuclear deal.
He last visited North Korea in August to win the release of imprisoned American Aijalon Gomes, who had been sentenced to eight years of hard labor for crossing illegally into the North Korea from China.
Carter's trip comes amid efforts on several fronts to reinvigorate the stalled six-nation nuclear negotiations.
China's top nuclear envoy arrived in Seoul yesterday for talks. North Korea's nuclear envoy reportedly traveled to Beijing this month to discuss the negotiations, which involve the two Koreas, the US, China, Japan and Russia.
The former leaders also said they plan to discuss food shortages in North Korea.
Children presented flowers to Carter, former Finnish president Martti Ahtisaari, former Norwegian prime minister Gro Brundtland and former Irish president Mary Robinson at Pyongyang airport, and the group was greeted by Vice Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho.
The former leaders didn't know ahead of their three-day trip who they would meet with, but said they hoped to have talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Il and his son and heir apparent Kim Jong Un. The delegation was not expected to speak to the press until it reaches Seoul tomorrow.
Also likely on the agenda is the dismal relationship between North and South Korea that has hampered efforts to restart talks on persuading North Korea to abandon its atomic weapons ambitions.
Before flying from Beijing to Pyongyang, Carter told South Korea's Yonhap news agency that he didn't intend to raise the case of Jun Young Su, a Korean-American being held in North Korea, reportedly on charges of carrying out missionary activity. Carter flew to North Korea last year to free another American jailed in Pyongyang.
South Korea reacted coolly to the trip. "We don't have high expectations," South Korean Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan said, when asked if the Carter visit might change North Korea's attitude. "I don't think it's necessary for North Korea to talk to us through a third party."
It is not the first time Carter has traveled to North Korea during a period of high tension. In 1994, the ex-president met with then-leader Kim Il Sung, Kim Jong Il's father, and helped broker a US-North Korea nuclear deal.
He last visited North Korea in August to win the release of imprisoned American Aijalon Gomes, who had been sentenced to eight years of hard labor for crossing illegally into the North Korea from China.
Carter's trip comes amid efforts on several fronts to reinvigorate the stalled six-nation nuclear negotiations.
China's top nuclear envoy arrived in Seoul yesterday for talks. North Korea's nuclear envoy reportedly traveled to Beijing this month to discuss the negotiations, which involve the two Koreas, the US, China, Japan and Russia.
The former leaders also said they plan to discuss food shortages in North Korea.
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