Ruling party head to meet North Korean official handling inter

2024-06-09 07:40:18      点击：684

Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung, left, and Ri Jong-hyok, vice chairman of the Korean Asia-Pacific Peace Committee of North Korea, head to ride a self-driving Zero Shuttle bus at Pangyo Techno Valley in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, Thursday. Yonhap

The ruling Democratic Party (DP) chief plans to meet with a visiting North Korean official in charge of inter-Korean ties on Thursday, party officials said.

Lee Hae-chan, the DP's chairman, plans to have dinner with Ri Jong-hyok, vice chairman of the Korean Asia-Pacific Peace Committee (KAPPC), party officials said.

Details about their planned meeting have yet to be revealed, but they are expected to discuss a proposed parliamentary meeting between the two Koreas and civilian exchanges.

Leading a five-member delegation, Ri arrived in South Korea on Wednesday to attend an international forum to be held in Goyang, north of Seoul, and tour various local facilities.

The Democratic Party President Lee Hae-chan. Yonhap

Ri is known for his long involvement in inter-Korean affairs. The KAPPC is an agency affiliated with the ruling Workers' Party of Korea.

National Assembly Speaker Moon Hee-sang met Ri last month in Geneva on the sidelines of an international conference. They discussed ways to hold the first-ever parliamentary meeting between the Koreas.

South Korea earlier proposed holding an inter-Korean parliamentary meeting this year, an offer that the North accepted in principle.

But working-level talks to prepare for the gathering have yet to be held as the North wanted to have time to push for them. (Yonhap)