Hyundai chairwoman extends stay in DPRK for 3rd time

SEOUL, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- Hyun Jung-eun, chairwoman of South Korea's Hyundai Group, on Friday extended her stay in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) for a third time, hinting at possible delays in a meeting with the country's leader Kim Jong-il.

Hyun, originally known to return home on Wednesday, later made adjustments to her schedule and would further stay in the nation until Saturday, Cho Kun-shik, chief of the group's DPRK business unit, Hyundai Asan Corp., said after receiving a phone call from her.

The South Korean government will again approve of the extension, said Unification Ministry spokesman Chun Hae-sung.

The repeated extension in Hyun's trip may be signaling that uncertainties still linger over a meeting with Chairman Kim Jong-il, local media reported.

Cho, before leaving for the Kaesong Joint Industrial Park for his routine visit, also said that Hyun "is yet to be given opportunities to meet with Chairman Kim Jong-il."

"Whether the meeting will take place is still uncertain," the ministry spokesman also said.

As Hyun's trip to Pyongyang drew attention to how it may affect the sour inter-Korean relations, the DPRK on Thursday released Yu Seong-jin, a Hyundai Asan worker who has been detained in the territory for 137 days for publicly criticizing the DPRK's regime.