Former United States president Bill Clinton made a surprise visit to North Korea on Tuesday to try to win the release of two jailed American journalists, and met the country’s reclusive leader, Kim Jong-il.
Some analysts said the visit, which US officials insisted was a private one, could mark the isolated state’s return to talks over nuclear weapons.
North Korea’s KCNA news agency also said that Clinton, who had dinner with Kim, passed on a verbal message from US President Barack Obama but gave no details. Washington said that no such message had been relayed.
”Kim Jong-il expressed thanks for this,” KCNA said of the message. ”He welcomed Clinton’s visit to the DPRK [North Korea] and had an exhaustive conversation with him. There was a wide-ranging exchange of views on the matters of common concern.”
The White House also appeared to play down speculation about a possible breakthrough in US-North Korean relations by characterising Clinton’s trip as private.
”While this solely private mission to secure the release of two Americans is on the ground, we will have no comment. We do not want to jeopardise the success of former president Clinton’s mission,” White House spokesperson Robert Gibbs said in a statement.
Clinton’s trip followed months of military provocations by the impoverished North, which has turned its back on negotiations with regional powers, including the United States and China, to convince it to give up ambitions to build an atomic arsenal. — Reuters