Teacher union group seeks to visit North

JoongAng Ilbo, 14 July 2003

One hundred thirty members of the Korea Teachers and Educational Workers Union plan to make a five-day visit to North Korea on July 29 at the invitation of North Korea’s teachers organization.

The visitors will see elementary and secondary schools in Pyeong-yang and will have talks with North Korean counterparts over cooperation in the education sector. The Unification Ministry allowed the union to meet North Korean counterparts twice—in April and July 7-9—at the Mount Geumgang resort to plan the visit.

We expect the Unification Ministry to issue the permission for the visit, said a teachers union official. We will contribute to the reconciliation and peace on the Korean Peninsula. But a possible snag may be that the union’s president, Won Young-man, is on the wanted list, charged with leading an illegal job action last month.