Albright accepts invitation to visit North Korea

From staff and wire reports

WASHINGTON -- In another sign of an easing of strained relations between the United States and North Korea, U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright says she will visit Pyongyang soon.

Albright received the invitation from North Korean leader Kim Jong Il's deputy, Vice Marshal Jo Myong Rok, who has been visiting the United States since Tuesday. She disclosed the trip in a toast at a Washington dinner hosted by Jo after the two held historic talks searching for ways to end five decades of hostility.

"I will have more to say about that tomorrow, but I would like to say how much I look forward to visiting your country and meeting with Chairman Kim Jong Il," Albright said in remarks at the dinner that were released by the State Department.

"That visit will allow for further discussions on regional security issues and other matters of mutual concern," she said, describing the current state of bilateral relations between the United States and North Korea as "rich with opportunity."

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

North Korean's historic visit to U.S.
October 8, 2000
U.S., N. Korea open wide-ranging talks
October 2, 2000
High ranking N. Korean official to visit Washington
September 29, 2000

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

Note: Pages will open in a new browser window

External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.