Park Ji Won, a main opposition lawmaker with the New
Politics Alliance for Democracy and vice-president of the Kim Dae Jung Peace
Center, and Hyun Jeong Eun, chairwoman of the Hyundai Group, have
requested approval from the South Korean government to visit the Kaesong
Industrial Complex on December 24th.
“In accordance with the North’s request, the officials
from the Kim Dae Jung Peace Center and Hyundai Asan made a request to visit
North Korea on December 24th,” an official from the Unification Ministry stated
on December 21st. “Our decision on whether to approve this request will be
finalized on December 23rd.”
The North’s invitation, extended by Kim Yang Gon, director
of the United Front Department of the Chosun Workers’ Party on Friday, is
reportedly to express gratitude to those who sent condolences for the third
anniversary of the death of former leader Kim Jong Il last week.
Rep. Park and Kim Song Jae, former culture minister, applied
as one delegation for the trip; Jo Kon Sik, president of Hyundai Asan Co. Ltd,
and Chairwoman Hyun submitted a separate request for the cross-border sojourn.
As previously reported, Rep. Park and other members of the
Kim Dae Jung Peace Center visited Kaesong Industrial Complex on November 16th
to deliver wreaths and messages of condolence sent by Lee Hee Ho, widow of
former south Korean President Kim Dae Jung and president of the Kim Dae Jung
Peace Center, and Chariwoman Hyun to commemorate the third anniversary of
Kim Jong Il’s death. The words and items were conveyed to Kim Jong Eun through Won Tong Yon,
vice-chairman of the Korea Asia-Pacific Peace Committee.
As Vice-Chairman Won already thanked the delegation on behalf of Kim Jong Eun during last week’s visit, this invitation from Director Kim Yang Gon for allegedly the same purpose has garnered a great deal of attention.
