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RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW PRIORITY 7121
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RHMFISS/COMUSKOREA J2 SEOUL KOR PRIORITY
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SEOUL 000574 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 2/21/2016 
TAGS: PREL KS KN
SUBJECT: KIM DAE-JUNG POSTPONES PYONGYANG TRIP TO JUNE 
 
REF: SEOUL 383 
 
Classified By: POL M/C Joseph Y. Yun.  Reasons 1.4 (b/d). 
 
¶1.  (C) Former President Kim Dae-jung indicated over the 
weekend that he will delay until June his proposed visit to 
Pyongyang.  As reported REFTEL, Kim had hoped to travel from 
Seoul to Pyongyang and back by rail in April.  The delay 
comes in response to charges from the opposition parties, 
including Kim's own Democratic Party (DP), that a visit in 
April would have significant impact on the May 31 nation-wide 
local elections.  In announcing the postponement, Kim's 
spokesman specifically cited the former president's desire to 
not to intrude on the domestic political scene.  Kim also 
concluded that a June visit would enable him to avoid the 
potential awkwardness of being asked to participate in 
festivities related to Kim Il-Sung's birthday (April 15). 
June also marks the sixth anniversary of the historic 2000 
North-South summit in Pyongyang. 
 
¶2.  (C) COMMENT:  For the time being, the announcement of a 
postponement appears moot as the DPRK has yet to respond to 
Kim's proposed visit.  A senior aide to Kim told us February 
21 that a response from Pyongyang is not likely to come until 
after ongoing celebrations in honor of Kim Jong-il's birthday 
wind down, perhaps toward the end of the month. 
 
¶3.  (C) CONT'D COMMENT:  The prospect of a visit to Pyongyang 
by Kim Dae-jung continues to have reverberations on the 
domestic political scene, as most analysts assume that the 
euphoria generated by such a visit would mostly benefit the 
pro-engagement ruling Uri Party.  This speaks to the 
inextricable link between North-South relations and Korean 
domestic politics -- and Kim Dae-jung's enduring influence on 
both. END COMMENT. 
VERSHBOW