Eastern Iowa welcomes a visitor from afar today. North Korean Ambassador Li Hyong Chol will spend the day touring the Dubuque area and meeting with education, church and government leaders. University of Dubuque President Jeffery Bullock set up the visit after meeting the Ambassador this fall at the United Nations in New York.Bullock says North Korea is struggling to feed its people, so he views this meeting as a chance for Ambassador Li to get acquainted with the leaders in one of this nation’s top agricultural states.After Secretary of State Madeline Albright’s recent visit to North Korea, Bullock says it’s clear the U-S is trying to improve relations with that nation, though he says “some conflicts are not ready for formal mediation by governments.” He adds, “citizen diplomacy — people working together — can begin changing human relationships.”Bullock says Li’s official visit to campus will also include a discussion of the ways in which the University and the Presbyterian Church can be of help in building bridges between the Koreas and the U-S.
