Hyundai chief rosy about inter-Korean ties after lengthy meet with Kim

SEOUL, Aug. 17 (Yonhap) -- The chairwoman of Hyundai Group said Monday that she
met with North Korean leader Kim Jong-il for four hours over luncheon at Mount
Myohyang, north of Pyongyang, on Sunday for extensive discussions on ways to
improve inter-Korean relations.
"My luncheon meeting with Chairman Kim proceeded in a friendly atmosphere. We
exchanged views on the resumption of the joint tourism project at Mount Kumgang
and other pending issues," Hyun said in a news conference after returning home
from a weeklong trip to North Korea.
"Chairman Kim also looked back on his past relationship with Hyundai founder
Chung Ju-yung and former Hyundai chairman Chung Mong-hun, calling them pioneers
in inter-Korean relations," she said, referring to the North Korean leader by his
official title, chairman of the National Defense Commission.
After explaining a set of her agreements with the North's regime, including the
resumption of suspended cross-border tour projects and reunions of separated
families, Hyun said that she didn't have prior consultations with the Seoul
government regarding her agenda in the North.
According to a joint media statement released by the North early Monday morning,
North Korea and Hyundai Group agreed to resume their inter-Korean tourism
projects and facilitate operation of the joint industrial park in the North's
border town of Kaesong.
The two sides also agreed to arrange the reunions of separated families and
relatives from the North and South in Mount Kumgang on the day of Chuseok (Korean
thanksgiving) this year.
"(Hyundai) will push to enforce the latest agreements with the North through
close consultations with the (South Korean) government," said Hyun, refusing to
elaborate further on details of her dialogue with the reclusive North Korean
leader.
The Hyundai chief also said she is optimistic about the release of four South
Korean fishermen who have been detained in the North since July 30 after their
fishing ship strayed across the North Korean maritime border with mechanical
trouble.
"I recommended government-level dialogue on the issue of releasing detained
fishermen. I think the issue will be settled well," Hyun said at a press
conference held at the Inter-Korean Transit Office in the border town of Dorasan.
"We're glad that our Hyundai employee returned to his family, We send our thanks
to the government and the people that have done their all to help resolve the
issue," she said.
The chairwoman traveled to Pyongyang a week ago with a key mission of gaining the
release of detained Hyundai Asan worker Yu Seong-jin. After Yu was released last
Thursday, Hyun repeatedly extended her stay in an apparent effort to meet with
the North Korean leader, which was realized on Sunday.
"In response to last year's shooting death of a South Korean tourist at Mount
Kumkang, Chairman Kim promised that there won't be a similar incident in the
future," Hyun said.
The South Korean government suspended Hyundai's major tour program to Mount
Kumgang in North Korea's east coast last year after a North Korean soldier shot
dead a South Korean tourist who allegedly strayed into an off-limits military
zone.
North Korea has rejected an on-site investigation into the shooting death in the
North's eastern Mount Kumgang resort. South Korea subsequently suspended the tour
program indefinitely, rapidly sending Inter-Korean relations into a downward
spiral.
The relations of the two Koreas have been virtually severed since President Lee
Myung-bak took office in February last year with a vow to link cross-border
rapprochement with North Korean denuclearization efforts.
odissy@yna.co.kr
(END)