U.S. diplomat plans visit
to Korea as tension buildsMay 23, 1996
Web posted at: 3:00 p.m. EDT (1900 GMT)WASHINGTON (CNN) -- With tension heating up between North and South Korea, a United States congressman will to try to bring calm to Korean relations, CNN learned Thursday.
Rep. Bill Richardson, D-New Mexico, plans to arrive in North Korea on Sunday to meet with the Pyongyang government on issues including peace with South Korea, missing American soldiers, and the food shortage in North Korea.
Although Richardson will not be an official representative of Washington, White House administrators have consulted closely with him in preparation for the trip, CNN learned.
News of Richardson's visit comes on the heels of two incidents Thursday that further disrupted already tense relations between the two nations.
A North Korean air force captain, Lee Chul-su, defected to South Korea in an aging MiG-19 fighter. It was the first defection involving a North Korean aircraft in 13 years.
"I could not live under the North's system any longer," he shouted to reporters. Lee reportedly left behind a wife and two children.
When South Korea detected the plane, six air force jets scrambled to intercept it. Crossing the border violates the 1953 armistice between the two Koreas. As the intercepting planes approached, the MiG dipped its wings and slowed down, signalling the intention to defect. It was escorted to Suwon airport.
In the other incident, five North Korean gunboats entered South Korea's coastal waters. The South's navy pursued the gunboats, which retreated north of the demarcation zone about 20 minutes after they arrived.
Tensions between North and South Korea have escalated in recent months, leading U.S. Secretary of Defense William Perry to characterize the border as the most dangerous hot spot in Asia.
Meanwhile, the United States, Russia and China have tried to persuade North Korea to enter peace negotiations with the South. Pyongyang leaders have refused.
How Richardson's trip will pan out remains to be seen. But he has been successful in previous key negotiations. Last year he arranged the release of two American businessmen being held by the Iraqi government. And in 1994, he traveled to North Korea to negotiate the release of an American helicopter pilot and the remains of his downed co-pilot.
CNN Seoul Bureau Chief Sohn Jie-Ae contributed to this report.
Related stories:
- North Korean pilot defects to South Korea - May 23, 1996
- South Korea calls North Korea "reckless" - April 8, 1996
- Russia, China join effort to ease Korea tensions - April 9, 1996
- North Koreans fire shots in demilitarized zone - May 17, 1996
- Faces of Conflict: Korea
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