hankyoreh

By Park Hyun, Washington correspondent

Reporters from five American media organizations left the US last weekend to cover a July 27 commemorative event in North Korea on the 60th anniversary of the signing of the armistice that ended the Korean War.

The US media that are sending reporters to North Korea include four broadcasters (NBC, ABC, CBS, and CNN) and the Associated Press (AP).

Some US media companies who were invited to visit the North declined the offer, reportedly because it would not be possible to do any reporting that was not related to the event.

While certain media outlets in South Korea reported that US reporters were planning to interview North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during their visit to the North, no such interview has been scheduled as of the present, sources say.

“It is my understanding that the American reporters will not be interviewing Kim on this trip,” said a source on July 20 who spoke on condition of anonymity.

When asked about reports that North Korea had requested a million dollars in exchange for an interview, the source said that he had not heard anything about that.

On July 20, a diplomatic source in Washington said that US President Barack Obama would give a speech on the 60th Anniversary of the Korean War Armistice, which will be taking place at the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., on July 27.

While then-Vice President Dick Cheney was present at the 53rd Anniversary of the Korean War Armistice in 2006, this will be the first time that a sitting president has attended.

“If something comes up that prevents Obama from being there, Vice President Joe Biden might attend instead of Obama, but according to the current plan, Obama is supposed to be attending,” the source said.

High-ranking officials in the US administration are planning to attend the memorial ceremony organized by the Department of Defense, including Sally Jewell, secretary of the interior; Eric Shinseki, secretary of veteran affairs; and Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel. In addition, the guest list includes senators, congressmen and top army officials, including James Winnefeld, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

South Korea will be represented at the ceremony by a special delegation sent by President Park Geun-hye, which will be headed by Kim Jeong-hun, chairman of the National Assembly’s National Policy Committee. Also in attendance will be Ahn Ho-young, South Korean ambassador to the US, and Baek Seon-yeop, chairman of the Army Association.

Please direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]