Clinton Meets With Top North Korean Official

W A S H I N G T O N, Oct. 10 -- President Clinton and a top North Korean official met today for the highest level talks between the two countries since the 1950-53 Korean War in an effort to ease tensions between the Cold War adversaries.

A U.S. official described the 45-minute Oval Office meeting between Clinton and Cho Myong Nok, the second-ranking official in the secretive Stalinst state, as “very positive, direct and warm.”

Washington hopes the three-day visit by Cho, the vice chairman of Pyongyang’s National Defence Commission and the highest-ranking official after North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, will promote reconciliation between North and South Koreafollowing the historic June meeting between their leaders.

In addition to generally easing tensions, Washington wantsto talk to Cho, the most senior official from North Korea tovisit Washington since North Korea’s founding, about reigning inhis country’s weapons programs and about its status as a “statesponsor of terrorism.”

“I think this was an excellent start,” Ambassador WendySherman, coordinator of U.S. policy toward North Korea, toldreporters after the meeting, which she described as more aceremonial than substantive negotiating session.

Uniform Sends Signal?

During the meeting Cho presented Clinton with a letter fromKim, the son of the founder of North Korea, the White Housesaid but declined to describe its contents.

The United States fought on the side of South Korea duringthe Korean War and has remained a staunch ally of Seoul eversince, stationing 37,000 troops in the country.

In a visit as attuned to symbolism as to substance, Chochanged out of the gray business suit that he wore to the U.S.State Department this morning and into a full militarydress for his White House talks with Clinton.

U.S. officials saw this as a signal that Pyongyang’smilitary is solidly behind the opening to the United Statesafter years of enmity.