"We understand that both South Korean and U.S. governments would support Senator Hillary Clinton's North Korea visit," an aide to South Korea's opposition leader said, requesting anonymity.

Mrs. Clinton has been a sharp critic of what she said was Bush administration "mishandling" of the North Korean nuclear crisis.

Speaking in January 2003, Clinton complained: "The way they've mishandled North Korea, I mean - we don't think that Iraq yet has nuclear weapons, or Iran. We know darn well that North Korea is trying to commit nuclear blackmail on us and we have to be more vigilant there."

Another South Korean opposition party member, also speaking anonymously, claimed the Bush administration strongly supports a planned visit to Pyongyang by a five-member U.S. congressional delegation later this year - a trip that could include Clinton if she accepts the invitation.

Sens. Conrad Burns, R-Mont., and Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., have also been invited on the trip.

In 1994, President Bill Clinton negotiated the so-called "Agreed Framework" with Pyongyang, where the Korean dictatorship was supposed to forgo its nuclear weapons program in exchange for a massive infusion of U.S. aid.

A 1997 congressional study found, however, that North Korea had violated the agreement and had resumed its drive to obtain a nuclear bomb.

Editor's note: