김연철, 취임 후 첫 방북 "北, 공동선언 이행 확고한 의지 밝혀"<br /><br />Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul reaffirmed Seoul's commitment towards carrying out inter-Korean deals... during his first visit to the inter-Korean liaison office in Gaeseong since taking office.<br />Following the visit Kim told reporters that he had briefly met with North Korean officials to whom he asked to relay his greetings to his North Korean counterpart Ri Son-gwon , the Chairman of North Korea's Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland.<br />"We've also shared a strong will to implement the joint declarations signed by the two Koreas last year... as well as the need to normalize operations at the joint liaison office."<br />The joint liaison office was set up to bolster cross-border exchanges... but has been effectively idle amid a lack of progress in denuclearization talks between North Korea and the U.S. <br />
