South Korean Ambassador to the United States Yang Sung-chul met Henry Hyde, chairman of the House International Relations Committee, on Tuesday and discussed the U.S.-proposed visit to Washington by a high-profile North Korean defector in Seoul.
In the talks on Capitol Hill, Amb. Yang and Rep. Hyde (R-IL) agreed to mutual consultations over the invitation sent to Hwang Jang-yop, the highest-ranking North Korean ever to defect to Seoul.
Reps. Hyde and Christopher Cox (R-CA) recently invited Hwang to testify at hearings later this month.
Hwang, 78, a one-time close confidant and teacher of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, accepted the invitation, but Seoul has refused to allow the visit, citing safety concerns.
Noting that an unnecessary controversy has arisen between the two countries over Hwang's proposed visit, Yang and Hyde reportedly agreed to respect each other's position in dealing with Hwang's issue.