ID :
207409
Thu, 09/15/2011 - 17:40
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/207409
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S. Korean religious leaders set to visit N. Korea next week
SEOUL, Sept. 15 (Yonhap) -- The heads of South Korea's seven largest religious orders are scheduled to travel to Pyongyang next week in a rare suprapartisan move aimed at promoting a breakthrough in inter-Korean relations amid lingering tension between the two Koreas, sources said Thursday.
The Korean Conference of Religion for Peace (KCRP), an organization representing the country's seven largest religious groups, has agreed with its North Korean counterpart on a four-day trip to Pyongyang starting Wednesday, according to the sources.
The visiting officials, who will travel to Pyongyang via China, are scheduled to hold talks with religious officials in North Korea.
The visit has raised speculations of a possible meeting with Kim Jong-il, but the KCRP said it has not proposed talks with the North Korean leader.
KCRP officials said the trip is likely to contribute to softening the tense relations between the two Koreas, which have been strained after the North's shelling of South Korean border islands and the sinking of a South Korean warship last year.
The visit comes as religious officials are trying to improve inter-Korean ties and promote peace on the Korean peninsula amid heightened tension across the border following last year's two deadly attacks. Sources said the religious leaders held a meeting with Unification Minister Hyun In-taek last month in a bid to request permission for the cross-border visit.
The Unification Ministry said it has not yet received an application for the Pyongyang visit, but said it will review the agenda when an official application is filed.
The visit is the latest of a series of visits to North Korea by South Korean cultural and religious officials.
South Korean orchestra conductor Chung Myung-whun returned to Seoul on Thursday after a trip to North Korea. Chung conducted performances of the North's State Symphony Orchestra and the Unhasu Orchestra, according to the North's state media.
Earlier this month, the Unification Ministry also allowed officials from South Korea's largest Buddhist sect to visit North Korea, the first religious trip to the communist nation since its deadly attacks on the South.
The Korean Conference of Religion for Peace (KCRP), an organization representing the country's seven largest religious groups, has agreed with its North Korean counterpart on a four-day trip to Pyongyang starting Wednesday, according to the sources.
The visiting officials, who will travel to Pyongyang via China, are scheduled to hold talks with religious officials in North Korea.
The visit has raised speculations of a possible meeting with Kim Jong-il, but the KCRP said it has not proposed talks with the North Korean leader.
KCRP officials said the trip is likely to contribute to softening the tense relations between the two Koreas, which have been strained after the North's shelling of South Korean border islands and the sinking of a South Korean warship last year.
The visit comes as religious officials are trying to improve inter-Korean ties and promote peace on the Korean peninsula amid heightened tension across the border following last year's two deadly attacks. Sources said the religious leaders held a meeting with Unification Minister Hyun In-taek last month in a bid to request permission for the cross-border visit.
The Unification Ministry said it has not yet received an application for the Pyongyang visit, but said it will review the agenda when an official application is filed.
The visit is the latest of a series of visits to North Korea by South Korean cultural and religious officials.
South Korean orchestra conductor Chung Myung-whun returned to Seoul on Thursday after a trip to North Korea. Chung conducted performances of the North's State Symphony Orchestra and the Unhasu Orchestra, according to the North's state media.
Earlier this month, the Unification Ministry also allowed officials from South Korea's largest Buddhist sect to visit North Korea, the first religious trip to the communist nation since its deadly attacks on the South.
