Radio Free Asia (RFA) reported Monday....Some 40 information and technology (IT) firms being run by Korean residents in the United States have been invited by North Korea to the Pyongyang Hi-Tech International Forum and Expo (PHTIFE) to be held June 28-30. The broadcaster said....the invitation was made during a presentation Saturday in the United States by the North's Pan-Pacific Economic Development Association (PPEDA) of Korean Nationals. RFA said....participants will enter the North's capital city on June 27 via Beijing and leave the city for Beijing on July 2. RFA also said that the North had sent letters of invitation to some 30 associations of Korean residents in the United States calling for them to enjoy its two-month-long mass gymnastic and arts festival "Arirang," which will end June 29, but failed to receive a large response. The PHTIFE is jointly organized by PPEDA and (North) Korean Academy of Sciences. According to PPEDA's Internet homepage (www.dprkorea.com), under the auspices of the North Korean cabinet, the events will be participated in by businesses, scientists and experts in the IT field from around the world.