hankyoreh

former U.S. ambassador to South Korea

By Park Hyun, Washington correspondent

The US State Department is denying any official connection with an ongoing trip to North Korea by Donald Gregg, a former ambassador to South Korea.

“It’s a private delegation,” said deputy spokesperson Marie Harf when asked about the visit during a regular briefing on Feb. 10. Harf added that Gregg and his group were not traveling on behalf of the US government.

Harf’s version echoed that of another source in the office of a State Department spokesperson, who told the Hankyoreh that Gregg was not representing the US government on his visit and said that any specific questions should be directed to Gregg and his party.

Harf also expressed bafflement about North Korea’s decision to rescind an invitation for special North Korean human rights envoy Robert King to visit North Korea to discuss the release of Kenneth Bae, a Korean-American Christian missionary who has been detained there for over a year. She went on to say King was prepared to go at any time if invited again by Pyongyang.

Harf also announced the US government’s support for an attempt by Bae’s family to arrange a North Korea visit by Rev. Jesse Jackson, a human rights activist. In an interview with CNN the same day, Jackson said he was willing to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to discuss the issue.

Jackson, who admitting having had “high hopes” for King’s visit, also said he had sent a letter to Kim after the visit fell through. In the letter, he said he would “like to meet with [Kim Jong-un] face-to-face to seek to work out some mutual respect, some recognizing each other’s sovereignty, each other’s will to peace.”

No word has yet emerged on Pyongyang‘s reaction to the idea of a visit by Jackson.

Speaking at a regular briefing on Feb. 11, press secretary Jay Carney said the White House was “deeply disappointed” by North Korea’s decision to withdraw King’s invitation for the second time.

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