Related News
S Korea's former first lady in Pyongyang to pay condolence
Source: Xinhua |
December 26, 2011, Monday
|
Online Edition
Online Edition
TWO private delegations, led respectively by South Korea's former first lady and the chairwoman of Hyundai Group, crossed into the Democratic People's Republic of Korea today to pay condolences over the death of DPRK's top leader Kim Jong-il.
A 13-member delegation led by Lee Hee-ho, the widow of the late former president Kim Dae-jung, and another five-member delegation led by Hyun Jeong-eun, the wife of the business group's late chairman Chung Mong-hun, left for Pyongyang for a two-day trip.
"I think it's the right thing to pay condolences as Kim Jong-il sent a condolence delegation to Seoul when my husband passed away in August 2009," Lee said in a written message read by her aide before crossing the border.
"I hope that our trip to the DPRK will help improve relations between South Korea and the DPRK," she said.
The South Korean government granted special permission for the two women to make the trip because the DPRK sent separate condolence delegations to Seoul after the deaths of their husbands.
The two delegations, however, will not attend the funeral of Kim Jong-il, scheduled for Wednesday, and no government officials, politicians or other prominent figures were included in the groups.
They are scheduled to hold a luncheon meeting with some DPRK's officials in Pyongyang later Monday before paying their respects to Kim, according to the Unification Ministry, which handles inter- Korean affairs.
Last week, the South Korean government expressed its sympathy to the people of the DPRK following the death of their leader on December 17, which was announced two days later.
However, it decided not to send an official delegation to the funeral. After Seoul's decision, the DPRK has denounced the south for not sending an official delegation and banning its people from visiting the DPRK to express their condolences.
A 13-member delegation led by Lee Hee-ho, the widow of the late former president Kim Dae-jung, and another five-member delegation led by Hyun Jeong-eun, the wife of the business group's late chairman Chung Mong-hun, left for Pyongyang for a two-day trip.
"I think it's the right thing to pay condolences as Kim Jong-il sent a condolence delegation to Seoul when my husband passed away in August 2009," Lee said in a written message read by her aide before crossing the border.
"I hope that our trip to the DPRK will help improve relations between South Korea and the DPRK," she said.
The South Korean government granted special permission for the two women to make the trip because the DPRK sent separate condolence delegations to Seoul after the deaths of their husbands.
The two delegations, however, will not attend the funeral of Kim Jong-il, scheduled for Wednesday, and no government officials, politicians or other prominent figures were included in the groups.
They are scheduled to hold a luncheon meeting with some DPRK's officials in Pyongyang later Monday before paying their respects to Kim, according to the Unification Ministry, which handles inter- Korean affairs.
Last week, the South Korean government expressed its sympathy to the people of the DPRK following the death of their leader on December 17, which was announced two days later.
However, it decided not to send an official delegation to the funeral. After Seoul's decision, the DPRK has denounced the south for not sending an official delegation and banning its people from visiting the DPRK to express their condolences.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
