North¡¯s Kim to visit Seoul this year

North Korea's leader Kim Jong-Il most likely will confirm the date for his reciprocal visit to Seoul by the middle of September, a South Korean government source said.

The Seoul government plans to hold a groundbreaking ceremony September 15 for the restoration of the railway across the border and might even hold a joint ceremony with the North.

"Leader Kim's reciprocal visit to Seoul will be confirmed in the middle of next month," the Seoul government source said Monday. "Because both President Kim and the North's leader Kim have busy schedules in September and October, the reciprocal visit will be difficult." The source hinted that the reciprocal visit might take place after November.

"Although some predict his visit might take place this year, as of now, there is greater possibility of it being early next year," he said.

Many predict that the South¡¯s government will discuss and confirm the schedule for Kim's visit to Seoul during a visit next month by Kim Yong-Soon, secretary of the Central Committee of the Worker's Party of (North) Korea.

In a recent meeting between Kim Jong-Il and South Korean media heads who visited North Korea, Kim reportedly said that he would make the reciprocal visit to keep his word to President Kim Dae-Jung.

Concerning the cross-border railway restoration project, the government source revealed that a simultaneous construction and groundbreaking ceremony might be possible. "Currently, negotiation is underway to determine the location of a railway station within the demilitarized zone -- whether to build one in the South or the North, or one in the middle," he said.