S. Korean president meets with N. Koreans

SEOUL, Aug. 22 (UPI) -- A North Korean delegation gave South Korean President Lee Myung-bak a message about cooperation from Kim Jong-il during a meeting in Seoul, officials said.

The meeting Sunday was the first at this level between the two countries in two years.

Lee Dong-kwan, a spokesman for Lee, said the North Koreans came with a "verbal message regarding making progress in South-North cooperation" The New York Times reported. Lee responded by talking of the need for dialogue and asked the delegation to give South Korea's "consistent and firm position" to the North Korean chairman.

The North Korean delegation included Kim Ki-nam, a secretary of the ruling Workers' Party in the north, and Kim Yang-gon, the intelligence chief.

"We hope this will become a turning point in South-North Korean relations," Hyun told reporters Saturday.

A delegation from North Korea flew to Seoul Friday to pay respects to former President Kim Dae-jung of South Korea, who was a champion of inter-Korean reconciliation. Kim, who met with Kim Jong-il in 2000, died Tuesday.