U.S. presidential candidate Bill Richardson arrived Sunday in North Korea for a rare visit to the isolated country by a prominent American official. The trip, which has been endorsed by the administration of U.S. President George W. Bush, comes days before a crucial deadline in a recent nuclear disarmament accord. Richardson, the Democratic governor of the U.S. state of New Mexico, said he had no intention of negotiating nuclear matters. The delegation he brings aims to recover the remains of U.S. servicemen killed during the Korean War. Still, he told the Associated Press on the flight to Pyongyang that the timing of the visit is important and will show North Korea the United States' good intentions as the April 14 deadline for North Korea to shut down its main nuclear reactor draws near. The North Koreans, he said, will understand the symbolism of a delegation that includes Anthony Principi, the former veteran affairs secretary for U.S. President George W. Bush, and Victor Cha, a top adviser on North Korea. «It could be the signal of an improved relationship,» he said of the discussions to secure U.S. remains. «The North Koreans always consider protocol very important. They like to be considered a major power in the region.»
