Carter leaves for U.S. after trip to two Koreas

SEOUL, April 29 (Yonhap) -- Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter headed back to his country Friday after a high-profile trip to the divided Koreas aimed at brokering inter-Korean dialogue on easing tensions and laying the groundwork for the resumption of six-party nuclear talks, an official here said,
Leading a delegation from the Elders, an independent group of 10 former heads of state, on a private but controversial peace mission, Carter failed to yield an immediate breakthrough.
He was unable to secure a hoped-for meeting with the North's reclusive leader Kim Jong-il and his request for a courtesy call on South Korean President Lee Myung-bak was also rejected. He instead said he brought Kim's personal message that he was willing to hold a summit with Lee any time on any subject, which South Korean officials described as nothing of note.
Carter's visit to Pyongyang this time was controversial both in Seoul and Washington, with conservatives accusing him of acting as a mouthpiece of the totalitarian regime while overlooking the nation's dismal human rights condition. South Korea's foreign minister, Kim Sung-hwan, called Carter a "third party" in inter-Korean relations, demanding Pyongyang directly talk to Seoul.
The South Korean official, declining to be identified, said Carter left for Atlanta, Georgia, on a flight from Incheon International Airport at around 10:30 a.m.
Among the Elders members who accompanied Carter's four-day trip to the Koreas this week, former Irish President Mary Robinson was scheduled to leave later Friday, the official added. Former Norwegian Prime Minister Dr. Gro Harlem Brundtland and former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari were to fly home on Saturday, according to the official.
The Elders was launched by Nelson Mandela in 2007 to support global peace and humanity.