Mongolian president wraps up visit to N. Korea
SEOUL, Oct. 31 (Yonhap) -- Mongolia's President Tsakhia Elbegdorj left North Korea on Thursday with no official confirmation he held a summit meeting with Kim Jong-un, the government said.
Seoul's Ministry of Unification, citing a report carried by the Korean Central Television, said the Mongolian president left the North at 3:20 p.m. from Sunan International Airport after arriving in the country on Monday.
His visit marks the first time a foreign head of state visited the isolationist country after Kim took power following the sudden death of his father in 2011. The visit sparked speculation that a summit would mark the North Korean leader's debut onto the diplomatic stage.
"The lack of mention of the North Korean leader meeting Elbegdorj indicates that no summit took place," said an official source, who did not want to be identified. The ministry had initially predicted that a summit would take place.
Elbegdorj, meanwhile, held talks with Kim Yong-nam, the president of the Supreme People's Assembly Presidium, which is the country's figurehead leader, and Prime Minister Pak Pong-ju while in the North Korean capital earlier in the week.
He also visited the grave of North Korea's founder Kim Il-sung and the truce village of Panmunjom.
On Monday, he signed an agreement calling for greater cooperation in cultural exchange, tourism and sports, and formalized a plan for expanding ties in information technology.
North Korea and Mongolia established formal diplomatic ties in 1948, with the top leaders of the two countries having held five separate meetings in the past. The last summit took place in December 2004 when Mongolia's president visited the North.
Seoul's Ministry of Unification, citing a report carried by the Korean Central Television, said the Mongolian president left the North at 3:20 p.m. from Sunan International Airport after arriving in the country on Monday.
His visit marks the first time a foreign head of state visited the isolationist country after Kim took power following the sudden death of his father in 2011. The visit sparked speculation that a summit would mark the North Korean leader's debut onto the diplomatic stage.
"The lack of mention of the North Korean leader meeting Elbegdorj indicates that no summit took place," said an official source, who did not want to be identified. The ministry had initially predicted that a summit would take place.
Elbegdorj, meanwhile, held talks with Kim Yong-nam, the president of the Supreme People's Assembly Presidium, which is the country's figurehead leader, and Prime Minister Pak Pong-ju while in the North Korean capital earlier in the week.
He also visited the grave of North Korea's founder Kim Il-sung and the truce village of Panmunjom.
On Monday, he signed an agreement calling for greater cooperation in cultural exchange, tourism and sports, and formalized a plan for expanding ties in information technology.
North Korea and Mongolia established formal diplomatic ties in 1948, with the top leaders of the two countries having held five separate meetings in the past. The last summit took place in December 2004 when Mongolia's president visited the North.
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