S. Korean President meets Kim Jong-il in N. Korea
KOREAS: South Korea’s president arrived in Pyongyang on Tuesday to
the cheers of North Koreans and the handshake of leader Kim Jong-il for
a summit aimed at ending a half century of animosity born in the Cold
War.
North Koreans dressed in their finest clothes waved pink and red
plastic flowers when Kim arrived and broke into cheers when Roh stepped
out of his open car supplied by North Korea.
A solemn-faced Kim then shook hands with Roh. Roh started his journey
to the North by becoming the first president to step across the heavily
armed border and then leading perhaps the largest civilian motorcade
between the two capitals.
“I am crossing this forbidden line of division,” Roh said as he
become the first South Korean leader to walk into the reclusive North,
stepping across an 80 cm-wide (31 inches) yellow strip with the words
“peace and prosperity” written on it.
“There is nothing in sight but this line is the wall that has left
our nation divided for half a century. Because of this wall, our nation
has suffered so much pain.”
With just five months left in office, Roh has said he would use the
summit — only the second in the history of the two Koreas — to press for
peace and an eventual arms cut for the states. Analysts say the South
may pledge billions of dollars to help raise its communist neighbour’s
ruined economy.
“I intend to concentrate on making substantive progress that will
bring about a peace settlement together with economic development,” Roh
said in a televised address before departing.
Surveys show South Koreans favour the summit and eventual
unification, but want the process to be gradual. They fear the hundreds
of billions of dollars it would cost to absorb the impoverished North
would wreck their economy.
“I do think it will help in the unification process and economics,”
said Kwon Deuck-ki, 35, an interior designer. “However, the summit has
political purposes, particularly with the presidential elections coming
up.”
Critics accuse the unpopular Roh of using the summit to fan dreams of
unification to improve the fortunes of his faltering liberal camp, whose
leading candidates are badly behind in opinion polls for December’s
presidential election.
Roh is constitutionally barred from a second term in office.
The first summit in 2000 was seen as a landmark event that led to an
easing of tensions on the divided peninsula. The latest summit has been
greeted with a far more muted response, due to a vague agenda and doubts
Roh will be able to achieve much.
It has not helped that the meeting is again in Pyongyang, despite an
agreement in 2000 that Kim Jong-il would head South for the next summit.
“The visit also helps Kim Jong-il’s legitimacy,” said Ralph Cossa,
president of the Pacific Forum CSIS think-tank.
“By agreeing to once again go north, South Korean leaders help play
to the domestic image of Kim Jong-il as the ‘real’ Korean emperor, with
Roh (gifts in hand) being seen as playing a tributary visit,” Cossa
said.
The crossing helped shares in Seoul in early trading with
construction firms up in anticipation of landing major contracts to
improve the North’s creaking infrastructure.
As he crossed the border, Roh was handed flowers by North Korean
women in traditional dress before getting back into his car and heading
to Pyongyang. As he headed into the secretive North, television coverage
was cut off.
A road trip to Pyongyang is almost unheard of, as North Korea makes
every effort to hide the desolation and impoverishment of its
countryside from outside view, and that may indicate North Korea’s
increased confidence in opening up.
TV coverage was restored when Roh arrived in Pyongyang, where South
Korean broadcasters can beam images via satellite using links provided
by Seoul specially for the visit.
The summit will last through Thursday and the first official talks
between the leaders scheduled for Wednesday.
North South Korea Border, Tuesday, Reuters’
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