Russian speaker leaves Pyongyang without meeting Kim Jong-il

SEOUL, Nov. 25 (Yonhap) -- Sergei Mikhailovich Mironov, chairman of the
Federation Council of Russia, returned home from Pyongyang Wednesday without
meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, according to the North's state media.
The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that Kim Yong-nam, president of
the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, met and had a friendly talk
with Mironov at the Mansudae Assembly Hall when the latter paid a courtesy call
on him Wednesday. DPRK stands for Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the
north's official title.
The KCNA, monitored in Seoul, said that Mironov delivered a gift for Kim Jong-il
to Kim Yong-nam.
The Russian parliamentary speaker arrived in Pyongyang on Tuesday at the
invitation of North Korea and met with his counterpart, Choe Thae-bok, that day
for talks on issues of bilateral interest. Mironov met Kim Jong-il on his last
visit to Pyongyang in 2004.
(END)