JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: United States Secretary of State Madeleine Albright will meet with North Korea's foreign minister in Thailand Friday. As CNN's John Raedler reports, the groundbreaking meeting comes on the heel's of Wednesday's high-level talks between North Korea and South Korea.</s>JOHN RAEDLER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): History in a handshake -- the first meeting between foreign ministers of the two Koreas. They met in Bangkok, on the sidelines of a gathering of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, ASEAN -- North Korea's Paek Nam-Sun on the left, the South's Lee Joung-Binn on the right. There was no set agenda for the talks, which were scheduled to go for 30 minutes, but lasted 45.</s>CHOI YOUNG-JIN, SOUTH KOREAN SPOKESMAN: It was rather exchange of views than negotiation. So our side, South Korean foreign minister, conveyed his views on various matters, and we listened their position and their views. The atmosphere was very amicable and constructive.</s>RAEDLER: As the north's foreign minister left the talks, he told reporters -- quote -- "The meeting went very well. I'm very satisfied." (on camera): In terms of substance, the South says the ministers "agreed to cooperate on matters of external relations, and in the international arena, so as to enhance inter-Korean reconciliation and cooperation," a clear encouragement of North Korea to engage with the rest of the world.</s>CHOI YOUNG-JIN, SOUTH KOREAN SPOKESMAN: In this context, we expressed our view that in order to ensure peace and stability on the Korean peninsula, it would be helpful if North Korea improved its relations with both the United States and Japan.</s>RAEDLER: As the South's spokesman was saying that, North Korea's foreign minister was meeting his Japanese counterpart in the highest level contact between their countries. And in an equally historic reaching out, the North Korean minister is scheduled to meet U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright later in the week. John Raedler, CNN, Bangkok.
Madeleine Albright to Meet with North Korea's Foreign Minister in Thailand Friday