hankyoreh

The two Koreas have discussed a possible visit to Pyongyang by former President Kim Dae-jung, a top South Korean official said Friday, amid speculation that the aim of Kim's trip is to arrange the second inter-Korean summit.

"We held talks with North Korea in both official and unofficial channels," Unification Minister Lee Jae-joung said at a parliamentary committee meeting.

Speculation is rife that Kim will visit North Korea in a few months to set up the talks between President Roh Moo-hyun and his North Korean counterpart, Kim Jong-il. Roh's office has denied the allegation.

In 2000, Kim Dae-jung traveled to Pyongyang and met Kim Jong-il in the first-ever summit meeting since the 1945 division of the peninsula. The North Korean leader promised to visit Seoul for the second summit, but has yet to make good on his pledge.

"We'll proceed with his visit considering he is a significant figure who held the first inter-Korean summit talks and fostered a peace, and he will not travel as a private citizen," Lee said.

The 2000 summit, which spawned a set of cross-border rapprochement projects, helped the former South Korean leader win the Nobel Peace Prize later in that year.

Critics have accused the liberal Roh government of clandestinely promoting the second summit talks only to muster its support base ahead of December's presidential election.

Seoul, March 23 (Yonhap News)