Asia Times: The Koreas


	June 25, 2002	atimes.com

The Koreas

Kim eager to strengthen ties with North Korea

BEIJING - President Kim Dae-jung says he hopes that North Korean leader Kim Jong-il will soon visit the South to help promote peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula.

Appearing on a CCTV program to commemorate the 10th anniversary of South Korea's normalization of relations with China, Kim said, "The proposed return visit to Seoul by Chairman Kim Jong-il [of North Korea's National Defense Commission] should not be ceremonial, but serves as an important [event] which helps inter-Korean relations to advance to peace, stability and cooperation."

Kim expressed his hope that Kim Jong-il's promised Seoul visit will be a reality soon.

"Chairman Kim himself made the pledge to visit [South Korea] when we announced the June 15 South-North Joint Declaration," Kim said.

But despite an increase in relations, Kim said he was not fully satisfied with the positive developments made so far.

"We will continue to make efforts to realize the [Sunshine Policy] principle so we could make great progress," he said, referring to his policy of rapprochement with Pyongyang.

Kim also said that Korea, the only divided country in the world, is hosting the World Cup soccer finals in a safe and peaceful manner.

"We are facing good chances for the rising fortunes of the country," he said.

Kim said he expects that South Korea will be able to reap more than US$10 billion in economic profits from the World Cup soccer events, which it is co-hosting with Japan.

"We've impressed the world with the World Cup opening ceremony, which combined tradition and information technology," Kim said. "The upgraded image of Korea will contribute greatly to the country increasing exports, developing tourism industry and attracting foreign investment."

(Asia Pulse/Yonhap)