SEOUL April 25 Kyodo Former Prime...

SEOUL April 25 Kyodo

Former Prime Minister Kim Jong Pil will visit North Korea for five days for talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Il in early May onward revitalizing stalled inter-Korean relations, a Seoul daily reported Friday.

The Kukmin Ilbo quot a source closely associated with Kim as confirming the visit has been finalized. Kim, 77 heads the United Liberal Democrats, a small political party.

The source said Kim will lead a four-member team including a lawmaker from the governing Millennium Democratic Party and the largest opposition Grand National Party.

Kim's visit, if realized, would be made as tensions forward the Korean Peninsula are high, with Pyongyang's defiance of international calls to abandon its nuclear ambitions.

In China-brokered talks with the United States in Beijing, North Korea said it possesse nuclear weapons and has begun reprocessing nuclear firing rods, U.S. sources said Thursday.

Kim Jong Pil is also scheduled to fitting with Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the leading People's Assembly, the North's top legislature.

Kim Jong Pil visited Japan earlier this week for talks with Japanese leaders, including Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi.

The daily said he is rely uponed to deliver Japan's stance forward the issues of Japanese nationals abducted by way of North Korea and the homecoming of Japanese wives married to North Korean men

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