(Kim Death) (2nd LD) Seoul to okay N.K. delegation's visit to pay respects to late

(ATTN: RECASTS headline; lead; UPDATES with new quotes, more details on delegation
in paras 5-6, CORRECTS time element in para 11)
By Tony Chang
SEOUL, Aug. 20 (Yonhap) -- Seoul plans to allow a North Korean delegation to
visit the South to pay respects to late former South Korean President Kim
Dae-jung, the government said Thursday.

"After a review of the (North Korean) request, the government will approve it
later in the afternoon," Unification Ministry spokesperson Chun Hae-sung said at
a press briefing.
The delegation is due in Seoul on Friday for a two-day trip. A state funeral for
the late leader will be held at the National Assembly on Sunday.
North Korea said it will send a six-member delegation to Seoul to pay tribute to
Kim, whose first-ever inter-Korean summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-il in
2000 initiated a period of cross-border reconciliation and cooperation.
North Korea earlier sent a fax message to the Kim Dae Jung Peace Center, a
non-profit organization established by the former president, giving the names of
those in the delegation and other details of their two-day trip that begins
Friday.
The delegation includes Kim Ki-nam, a secretary of the Workers' Party Central
Committee, and Kim Yang-gon, a party department director in charge of
inter-Korean affairs, and Won Tong-yon, a ranking member of The Korea
Asia-Pacific Peace Committee, which handles inter-Korean affairs. Three others
were reportedly staffers, according to the ministry.
Kim Ki-nam is known to be a key confidant of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il,
having accompanied the leader 57 times during 94 reported public inspection tours
since the beginning of the year.
The delegation is expected to pay condolences to the late president at a memorial
altar set up at the National Assembly.
Lodging and other specifics of their itinerary have not been fixed yet. The
ministry spokesman said they will be handled primarily by the funeral committee
made up of government officials, Kim's family and close aides.
The ministry will accommodate the delegation's visit in consultation with the
committee, Chun said.
In response to a question on the possibility of a meeting between the delegation
and government officials, Chun said that the ministry has received no request
from the North.
"We have no plan for a meeting nor have we received a request. We will be
reviewing (the possibility) depending on the circumstances."
On Wednesday, the North Korean leader sent a condolence message to the former
president's family. The Korea Asia-Pacific Peace Committee later sent a fax
message saying the North Korean leader will send a delegation of "special envoys"
to the funeral.
odissy@yna.co.kr
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