By Ryu Jin
Staff Reporter


President Roh Moo-hyun said Thursday his administration would provide unstinting support if his predecessor Kim Dae-jung makes a visit to North Korea.

Roh made a phone call to Kim before leaving for Kuala Lumpur for a state visit to Malaysia and the ASEAN+3 Summit to congratulate the former president on the fifth anniversary of his winning the Nobel Peace Prize, according to presidential spokesman Kim Man-soo.

Roh first asked about Kim’s health and talked about Kim’s possible visit to the North. ``Why don’t you make a visit to the North if your health allows?’’ he asked. ``The government will provide unstinting support if you decide to make the visit.’’

Kim, for his part, showed special interest in Roh’s Southeast Asia trip which will also take him to the Philippines. ``I hope your trip will be successful,’’ he was quoted as telling Roh.

Kim won the Nobel prize in 2000 for his ``Sunshine Policy’’ and other endeavors to bring peace to the Korean Peninsula, which culminated in the landmark summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, the first of its kind between the two Koreas in more than half a century.

He was invited by the North’s leadership to visit Pyongyang again. And the envisioned visit has become a popular topic in South Korean politics in recent months as a number of political leaders expected the retired statesman to play a role in improving inter-Korean relations.

jinryu@koreatimes.co.kr