Unification minister, DPK leader to visit Pyongyang

By Park Ji-won

Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon and ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) leader Rep. Lee Hae-chan will head to North Korea next month with a 150-member delegation to participate in an inter-Korean event to commemorate the Oct. 4 Declaration in Pyongyang, sources said Thursday.

A unification ministry official said, "The visit is based on an agreement between the two Koreas to hold a ceremony to commemorate the 11th anniversary of an inter-Korean declaration adopted under former President Roh Moo-hyun on Oct. 4 in 2007 in Pyongyang."

"The two Koreas are having discussions to decide on the details, including the time and size of the event."

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The list of the participants has not been immediately announced, but sources say the unification minister and DPK Lee will be included.

DPK spokeswoman Rep. Lee Jae-jung said the DPK leader will head to Pyongyang and the size of the delegation is expected to be about 150, which will include lawmakers and related personnel.

Last week, Lee, also serving as chairman of the Roh Moo-hyun Foundation, proposed holding the ceremony in Pyongyang during his visit to North Korea as DPK leader. Lee offered his resignation to the foundation.

"DPK is trying to persuade the opposition parties to join the trip as the opposition parties didn't join the Pyongyang trip this time," Lee Jae-jung said.

Lee added that the schedule will be completed Friday.

The opposition parties, the largest opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP) and minor opposition Bareunmirae Party, declined to join the trip to Pyongyang for the inter-Korean summit last week while leaders of the Justice Party and Party for Democracy and Peace (PDP) traveled to the North.

Meanwhile, a group of four lawmakers plan to visit Washington D.C. next week to explain the outcome of the latest inter-Korean summit to their U.S. counterparts, the PDP chief said.

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