Sunday, March 06, 2005

Hillary Clinton to Visit North Korea

The Korea Times reports in today's edition, MDP to Arrange Visit to NK for Hillary Clinton;
The opposition Millennium Democratic Party is trying to arrange a visit by Hillary Clinton to North Korea along with a group of U.S. senators.

Party chairman Han Hwa-kap plans to meet with U.S. Ambassador to Seoul Christopher Hill today to discuss the issue, according to MDP officials Sunday.

``If possible, the visit will come sometime later this year,’’ an MDP member said on condition of anonymity.
Apparently this has Administration support;
MDP has said the New York senator, Clinton, hoped to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-il to discuss the nuclear issue. Hillary’s husband, former President Bill Clinton, had actively pushed for rapprochement with the North Korean regime in the final months of his administration.

``We understand that both South Korean and U.S. governments would support Senator Hillary Clinton's North Korea visit,’’ an aide to the Korean opposition leader said, requesting anonymity.

Another party member said the U.S. Congress and administration strongly support the senators’ bids to visit North Korea as part of efforts to find a peaceful solution to the continuing impasse involving North Korean nuclear drive.
It will be interesting to see the DPRK's reaction. I am assuming that this has the support of the current government of South Korea (ROK).

UPDATE:
The Dong-A Ilbo reports, Hillary Clinton Denies Alleged Plan to Visit North Korea;
U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-NY, denied her alleged plan to pay a visit to North Korea this year. Her spokesman told United Press International (UPI) regarding reports by some Korean newspapers that “at least those parts in the reports that mention Sen. Clinton are wholly incorrect,” adding, “She has not discussed or planned such a trip.”

Recently, some Korean newspapers reported that Democratic Party leader Han Hwa-gab noted he intended to meet with U.S. ambassador to Korea Christopher Hill to mediate Sen. Clinton and other senators’ visit to the North.

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