Top North Korean official en route to Washington

Jo Myong Rok

In this story: Tough, modern, outward-looking Leader likely to discuss ballistic missiles RELATED STORIES, SITES

From staff and wire reports

WASHINGTON -- North Korean President Kim Jong Il's right-hand man is expected to arrive in Washington on Monday night after leaving California earlier in the day.

Vice Marshal Jo Myong Rok is serving as special envoy for the reclusive Kim, son of the founder of the ailing communist nation. His visit is aimed at improving his country's relations with an old foe and may include discussions about a new security plan for the divided Korean Peninsula.

Planned for more than a year, Jo's visit offers further evidence of North Korea's intent to emerge from its historic reserve toward the outside world.

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It also comes in tandem with a thaw in relations between North and South Korea, which culminated in the June summit between Kim Jong Il and South Korean President Kim Dae-jung.

Tough, modern, outward-looking

Little is known about Jo, a soldier of 50 years and the first vice-chairman of the country's national defense commission. He arrived Sunday in San Francisco, California, for a one-day stopover before continuing on to Washington.

A former air force commander, he is described as tough and highly nationalistic. But Jo also has a reputation by North Korean standards for being modern and outward-looking.

Published accounts say he is 78 years old, but an official biography provided by North Korea listed only his military and official appointments.

Jo has been involved in the North's rapprochement with South Korea. Analysts say Jo's active role illustrates how Kim Jong Il has brought a military long associated with hard-line policies into the gradually warming relations on the Korean peninsula.

Leader likely to discuss ballistic missiles

While in Washington, Jo is slated to meet with U.S. President Bill Clinton.

Once enemies during the 1950-53 Korean War, United States and North Korea have no diplomatic relations but have been talking about opening liaison offices in Washington and Pyongyang, the North Korean capital, as a first step toward exchanging ambassadors.

Among their likely topics: U.S. fears about North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile technology as well as its military sales to governments Washington opposes.

The United States has a keen interest in learning from Jo about Kim Jong Il's proposal to give up ballistic missile programs in return for foreign assistance with launching North Korean satellites.

As a representative of the Pyongyang government, Jo is expected to express the country's official desire to be removed from the U.S. State Department's list of terrorist-sponsoring nations.

Last week, the two countries took a minor step forward on terrorism when they issued a joint statement agreeing to exchange information and work toward removing North Korea from the State Department list.

But the North Koreans have yet to comply with a U.S. demand that they expel members of the extreme leftist Japanese Red Army who hijacked a Japanese airliner to North Korea in 1970.

Ambassador Wendy Sherman, coordinator of U.S. policy toward North Korea, tried last week to downplay expectations that the visit will lead to breakthroughs.

"The very fact of this visit is important and I believe historic," she said. "We are hopeful, of course ... that we will make progress on issues as well. But I think that remains to be seen, because this is a long process."

CNN Hong Kong Bureau Chief Mike Chinoy and Reuters contributed to this report.

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U.S. State Department
Korean Central News Agency (KCNA)
Korean Information Service
South Korean government
North Korea: Politics and Government
North Korea
UniKorea

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