DATE=9/13/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=N-S KOREA TALKS - L
NUMBER=2-266424
BYLINE=HYUN SUNG KHANG
DATELINE=SEOUL
CONTENT=VOICED AT:
INTRO: Senior North and South Korean officials meeting
in Cheju have reportedly agreed on a plan for North
Korean Leader Kim Jong Il to make his first-ever trip
to the South. As Hyun-Sung Khang reports from Seoul,
the South Korean news agency, Yonhap, says the visit
is expected early next year.TEXT: The agreement on the state visit appears to have
come during meetings between North Korean Envoy Kim
Yong Sun and his South Korean counterpart, Lim Dong-
won.The Yonhap news agency, quoting unnamed South Korean
security officials, reports North Korean leader Kim
Jong Il will visit Seoul by early next year. It would
follow an historic summit between Mr. Kim and South
Korean President Kim Dae-jung in June in Pyongyang, at
which both men agreed to work toward reconciliation on
the Korean peninsula.South Korea's Unification Ministry has refused to
confirm the report. An official announcement on the
outcome of the four days of meetings is not expected
before Kim Yong Sun wraps up his trip Thursday with a
courtesy call on the South Korean president.Envoy Kim and Mr. Lim are also said to be close to an
agreement on a meeting of the Korean defense ministers
and more reunions of separated Korean families.Since the inter-Korea June summit, the North and South
have agreed on a series of confidence building
measures - including rebuilding a rail link and
establishing a liaison office on the border.Relations between North and South are better than at
any time since the two Cold War enemies signed an
armed truce, without a peace treaty, in 1953.
(signed)NEB/HK/HSK/JO
13-Sep-2000 02:23 AM LOC (13-Sep-2000 0623 UTC)
NNNNSource: Voice of America
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