Kim Dae-jung congratulated Vladimir Putin on his election as president of Russia. For his part, Mr Putin congratulated the South Korean leader on the agreement reached by the two Korean states to hold the first inter-Korean summit in the history of relations between the Republic of Korea and the People’s Democratic Republic of Korea. Mr Putin reaffirmed Russia’s support for dialogue and national reconciliation on the Korean Peninsula.
Having noted that this year marked the 10th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Russia and the Republic of Korea, Kim Dae-jung invited Mr Putin to pay an official visit to Seoul. Mr Putin accepted the invitation. The time of the visit will be agreed through diplomatic channels.