South Korea delegation fail to meet North's leader

A South Korean delegation on a mission to North Korea to defuse nuclear tensions was not allowed to meet the North’s leader Kim Jong Il as it had expected and returned home today, South Korean officials said.

The development wrecked hopes that the delegation, led by Lim Dong-won, a presidential envoy who has met Kim several times in the past, would be able to try to personally dissuade the North Korean leader from pursuing nuclear weapons development.

Many in the South view Kim as the only figure in the reclusive country who can make any meaningful decision on the nuclear issue.

There was no immediate comment from the North, which had not previously confirmed that the delegation would meet Kim.