The government of Republic of Korea (ROK) Thursday reconfirmed that the unscheduled second inter-Korean summit should be held in Seoul in the spirit of the South-North Joint Declaration reached on June 15, 2000.
The reconfirmation came amid reports here that Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov may propose to set Khabarovsk as the site forthe second inter-Korean summit.
"The government is not considering holding the second inter-Korean summit in a third country," South Korean Foreign Ministry spokesman Shin Jong-seung was quoted as saying by the national news agency Yonhap News.
The joint declaration said, "President Kim Dae-jung cordially invited National Defense Commission Chairman Kim Jong-il and the National Defense Commission Chairman agreed to visit Seoul at a proper time."
Ivanov is to arrive in Seoul on Friday morning for a three-day visit. He will talk with South Koran Foreign Minister Choi Sung-hong and pay a courtesy call on President Kim Dae-jung before flying to Pyongyang on Sunday for a two-day visit.
(Xinhua News Agency July 25, 2002)
