(Wall Street Journal) The two Koreas held their highest-level talks in years Saturday as a surprise visit by top North Korean officials to South Korea for a sporting event allowed the governments to break a diplomatic deadlock.
The North Korean delegation, led by Hwang Pyong So, considered by many outside observers to be No. 2 in the isolated nation’s hierarchy, met with South Korean Unification Minister Ryoo Kil-Jae, National Security Office head Kim Kwan-jin and other senior officials for lunch.
Details of the conversation weren’t disclosed. But ahead of the meeting, top North Korean sports official Choe Ryong Hae said support from South Korea had been a “big help” for North Korean athletes during the Asian Games, which ended on Saturday.
