Former US president Carter visits North Korea

Apr 26, 2011, 3:04 GMT

Beijing - Former US president Jimmy Carter and three other former state leaders arrived in Pyongyang Tuesday amid increasing tension between the Koreas, as South Korea downplayed the visit's importance.

Carter, 86, was travelling with former Finnish president Martti Ahtisaari, former Norwegian premier Gro Brundtland and former Irish president Mary Robinson, North Korean state-run media reported. The group first met with Foreign Minister Pak Ui Chun, the Korean Central News Agency said, without giving further details.

The former US president said Monday the visit was to focus on North Korea's nuclear weapons programme and food aid requirements. He also expressed hopes of meeting with regime leader Kim Jong Il and his son and heir apparent, Kim Jong Un.

South Korean Foreign Minister Kim Sung Hwan was sceptical, downplaying the significance of the private trip. 'We don't have too high expectations,' the minister said. 'I don't believe there is a reason for North Korea and us to hold dialogue through a third party.'

Tensions have risen since the artillery shelling of a South Korean island by North Korean forces in November. South Korea has demanded an apology before any further negotiations.

The four former leaders were scheduled to travel on to Seoul after three days in North Korea.

During a previous visit to the Stalinist state in August, Carter secured the release of a US citizen sentenced to forced labour for illegal entry.

China's envoy for the Korean Peninsula, Wu Dawei, arrived in Seoul Tuesday for talks on conditions for re-starting multilateral talks on ending North Korea's nuclear weapons ambitions. The six-party talks, which also involve the two Koreas, Russia, Japan and the United States have been stalled since late 2008 when North Korea walked out.

Read more about Koreas Conflict

Read more about US