DPRK Envoy Wraps Up Four-Day Visit

A special envoy for DPRK leader Kim Jong-il on Thursday wrapped up his four-day visit to Seoul, during which he arranged the DPRK leader's visit to the South early next year.

Kim Yong-sun was the first DPRK official to return to the North via the border village of Panmunjom since 1992.

"Kim and the delegation had planned to return to the North by air but went back via Panmunjom because of typhoon Saomai," a government official said.

During his trip to the South Kim held talks with his South Korean counterpart Lim Dong-won, in which both sides agreed to hold their first-ever military meeting late this month. Officials said that both sides are likely to open inter-Korean Red Cross talks early next week that would arrange more reunions of families torn apart by the 1950-1953 Korean War.

The DPRK envoy flew in on Monday and toured the resort island of Cheju, where a limited number of North Korean tourists are expected to visit soon. Before returning to Pyongyang, Kim held talks with President Kim Dae-jung in which he delivered a personal message from the North's leader.

People's Daily Online --- http://www.peopledaily.com.cn/english/