Albright Trip Marks Korean Thaw

P Y O N G Y A N G, North Korea, Oct. 24 -- Secretary of State MadeleineAlbright celebrated a thawing relationship with North KoreanOfficials today, even while acknowledging that it will take timeto erase 50 years of enmity and mistrust dating back to the KoreanWar.

Albright, the highest-level U.S. official to ever visit NorthKorea, met for a second day with North Korean leader Kim Jong Il,who had described himself Monday as “really very happy” to havethe opportunity to meet with the secretary of state.

In their three hours of talks Monday, Kim and Albright discussed“the issues which were of concern to us,” State Departmentspokesman Richard Boucher said.

Chief among those issues is North Korea’s missile developmentprogram and its export of missiles to Iran and Syria.

A Trip to the Country

Albright ventured out into the countryside Tuesday for a lunchhosted by Cho Myong Nok, Kim’s top aide, at a rural guest house.Trees along the route from capital were ablaze with color.

Toasting her host, Albright said: “The U.S. loves peace and wewant to see Cold War divisions end. We want countries to feelsecure from the threats, conflict and war.”

In his remarks, Rok said the U.S.-North Korean relationship“that has been frozen so deep over the past several decades is nowreaching the historic moment of thawing.”

Jo, whose toast was read by Vice Foreign Minister Kim Gye Gwan,said he was convinced that Albright’s visit would lead to “furtherimproved breakthroughs” in the relationship between theircountries.

Korean War: The Last Chapter?

Indeed, Albright was seeking to lay the groundwork for a visitby President Clinton as early as next month. White House spokesmanJake Siewert said the president would not decide whether to makethe trip until Albright’s return.

“We have some hope of resolving our outstanding differenceswith North Korea and looking forward to the day when they willtruly close the last chapter in the aftermath of the Korean War,”Clinton said Monday.