DPRK TV reports Kim Jong Il, Bill Clinton meeting, photos released

PYONGYANG, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- Kim Jong Il, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), met with visiting U.S. former President Bill Clinton on Tuesday, the official central television reported, releasing several photos of the meeting.

Photo released by North Korean official news agency KCNA shows former US president Bill Clinton (L, seated) and North Korea's leader Kim Jong- Il (R, seated) posing for a picture in Pyongyang on August 4, 2009.  Kim Jong-Il met Clinton here on Tuesday. (Xinhua/Korean Central News Agency)

According to the report, Clinton conveyed a verbal message from the U.S. President Barack Obama to Kim. But the White House denied that Clinton carried a message from Obama.

The report said that Kim expressed thanks and welcomed Clinton's visit to the DPRK and "had an exhaustive conversation with him (Clinton)."

The two sides widely exchanged views on the issues of common concern, it said.