By Kim Tae-jong
Staff Reporter
First lady Kwon Yang-suk is also on a busy schedule in Pyongyang as she accompanies President Roh Moo-hyun for the second inter-Korean summit.
On Wednesday, the second day of her stay in Pyongyang, she visited the Central Historical Museum in the morning and the Koryo Medical Science Institute in the afternoon.
At the museum, she looked around historically valuable relics and items from the ancient Korean kingdoms. Built in 1945, the museum also exhibits historical remains in 19 exhibition rooms.
Kwon went on to visit the medical institute, one of the four major state-owned research centers in the North, which is dedicated to the scientific development of oriental medicine.
South Korea’s Health and Welfare Minister Byun Jae-jin accompanied her on her visit to the institute. They talked about cooperation in medical sectors with officials from the institute.
On the first day, Oct.2, she expressed hopes for enhancing cooperation in various sectors between the two Koreas.
On that day she also visited the Grand People's Study Hall and was escorted around by Hong Son-ok, president of the (North) Korean Association of Women and vice president of the Committee for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries.
Hong also escorted former first lady Lee Hee-ho when she accompanied former President Kim Dae-jung during the first inter-Korea summit in 2000.
The first lady presented the library with 10 volumes of ``The Best 100 Collections from the National Museum.’’
Epic novelist Cho Jung-rae was among the high-profile Koreans who accompanied the first lady on the visit to the library and expressed his enjoyment at visiting the largest library in the North.
The library was set up in 1982 and now houses some 30 million books. Some 12,000 visitors come to the library every day on average. The South delegation also visited the venue during the first inter-Korean summit in 2000.