Kim to take sister to summit
By Lee Min-hyung
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Kim Yo-jong
Kim Yong-nam
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's sister Kim Yo-jong will be among delegates attending the inter-Korean summit, Friday, according to Cheong Wa Dae, Thursday.
Chief presidential secretary Im Jong-seok unveiled Thursday a list of nine ranking North Korean officials accompanying Kim for the summit.
They include Kim Yo-jong, who serves as the first vice department director of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, and Kim Yong-nam, president of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly.
Other well-known officials in the entourage are Kim Yong-chol, vice chairman of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, Ri Su-yong, vice chairman of the party's Central Committee, and North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho, according to Cheong Wa Dae.
On the military side, Minister of People's Armed Forces Pak Yong-sik and Korean People's Army General Staff chief Ri Myong-su have been included in the summit delegation.
It has yet to be unveiled whether Kim Jong-un's wife Ri Sol-ju will visit the South.
The presidential office also expressed surprise that the North has included high-ranking officials to cover a wide range of issues ― including military, diplomacy and sports.
“The full-scale lineup of the entourage shows the North is taking into account not just the inter-Korean summit, but other upcoming key diplomatic events ― such as the Washington-Pyongyang summit,” Im told reporters at KINTEX exhibition hall in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, Thursday.
The presidential office held the final round of briefing sessions there ahead of the historic gathering between Moon and Kim which begins at 9:30 a.m. Friday in the truce village of Panmunjeom.
The entourage also includes Choe Hwi, vice chairman of the party's Central Committee. Choe serves as a highest-ranking officer in charge of the regime's national sports guidance commission.
Kyungnam University professor Kim Dong-yub said the comprehensive lineup is seen as the regime's willingness to discuss various issues on the sidelines of the inter-Korean summit.
“Ri Su-yong, for example, will discuss the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, while Choe will likely invite the South to engage in more inter-Korean sports activities.”
Ri Myong-su and Park Yong-sik will visit the South to build inter-Korean military trust and narrow differences on some pending inter-Korean military issues, according to the professor.
“The upcoming summit comes with significant historical connotation, as Moon and Kim will discuss grave issues ― such as the denuclearization of the peninsula,” he said. “The summit will likely be remembered as a more-than-successful event.”