Three top North Korean officials, including the nuclear-armed nation’s de facto number two, made an extremely rare visit to South Korea on Saturday
Three top North Korean officials, including the nuclear-armed nation's de facto number two, made an extremely rare visit to South Korea on Saturday and held the highest-level talks for years, fuelling hopes of a breakthrough in troubled cross-border ties.
The ostensible motive for the surprise trip was Saturday's closing ceremony of the Asian Games, but after being whisked away in a convoy of black sedans from Incheon airport, the trio went directly into a meeting with the South's top official for North Korean affairs, Unification Minister Ryoo Kihl-Jae.
The talks lasted more than an hour and were followed by a lunch at which President Park Geun-Hye's national security adviser Kim Kwan-Jin was also present.
The two Koreas have remained technically at war since the end of the 1950-53 Korean conflict, and the sudden visit followed a period of extended military and diplomatic tensions.
Seoul said it had only been informed of the proposed trip the day before. The delegation included the newly-elected vice chairman of the National Defence Commission Hwang Pyong-So, who is widely seen as the second most powerful man in North Korea after paramount leader Kim Jong-Un.
TV footage of the meeting showed Hwang, who holds the rank of vice marshal in the Korean People's Army, dressed in military uniform, while the other two officials, Choe Ryong-Hae and Kim Yang-Gon, both wore dark suits.
Before journalists were removed, Choe thanked the South for the hospitality it had shown the North Korean athletes attending the Asiad in Incheon. "I am proud that in the effort for reunification, the sports field is leading the way," said Choe, who heads the national Sports Commission.
North Korea has exceeded all expectations at the Games and, with just a handful of events remaining, lies seventh in the medals table with 11 golds. The Unification Ministry said Seoul hoped the presence of the three senior leaders would "provide momentum for a positive development in inter-Korean ties".
