North Korea says that it would welcome a visit by Pope John Paul. The announcement follows the successful summit meeting between the Presidents of North and South Korea. The possibility of the Pontiff visiting the North was raised during the summit. South Korea is to issue an invitation to the Pope on behalf of North Korea.
Another issue raised at the summit was the deployment of US troops to South Korea. Washington has said that it is too early to consider withdrawing American troops from the country. The South Korean President, Kim Dae-jung, will brief his cabinet today on his historic meeting with the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-il. Kenneth Bacon, a spokesman for the American Defence Department, said that the South Korean President had assured Washington of his intention to allow the continued deployment of American troops in his country.
