S. Korean religious leaders return from visit to N. Korea

ATTN: UPDATES with arrival in paras 1-2) SEOUL, Sept. 24 (Yonhap) -- A group of South Korean religious leaders returned home on Saturday after a rare visit to North Korea that is expected to help ease cross-border tensions. "Through this visit, we realized that relations between the two Koreas should be improved for mutual prosperity. We also learned that the North side has the same understanding," Catholic Archbishop Kim Hee-joong, the leader of the delegation, said after arriving at Incheon International Airport. Earlier Saturday, the North's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that the 24-member South Korean delegation left Pyongyang earlier in the day, but provided no details. The group was scheduled to arrive in Seoul on late Saturday via Beijing. During their four-day visit, religious leaders of both Koreas agreed to meet regularly to help alleviate tensions, the KCNA reported on Thursday, adding that the visitors also met the North's ceremonial head of state, Kim Yong-nam. The Seoul government approved the trip by the religious leaders representing Protestants, Catholics, Buddhists and other indigenous religions. Until recently, no South Koreans were allowed to visit North Korea. Inter-Korean ties dipped to their lowest level in decades following two deadly North Korean provocations last year that left a total of 50 people killed. Since this month, however, South Korea has permitted some civilian leaders to visit the North for religious and cultural exchanges. Last week, South Korean orchestra conductor Chung Myung-whun visited the North for discussions on musical exchanges. Seoul's Unification Minister Yu Woo-ik, who was named to the post late last month, has said that he will explore ways to exert "flexibility" in dealing with the North. This week, the nuclear envoys of the two Koreas held a second round of talks in Beijing to discuss terms for reopening the stalled six-nation negotiations on the North's nuclear weapons programs, but little progress was reported.