Pyongyang-style welcome for Roh

SOUTH KOREA: Unsmiling but with thousands of Pyongyang residents cheering him on, North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il led a dramatic surprise welcome Tuesday for South Korean President Roh Moo-Hyun on his historic visit.

Hundreds of men in dark suits and women dressed in traditional hanbok gowns of light blue and violet had assembled in front of a red carpet to welcome Roh for a three-day summit.

But out of a dark car emerged the surprise: the communist state’s reclusive leader Kim Jong-Il. Wearing his trademark brown military-style jumpsuit, his expression austere and his belly protruding, the North Korean leader stood and waited to personally welcome Roh.

The doveish South Korean leader, a beaming smile on his face and wearing a bright blue tie, arrived standing in an open-topped black limousine next to North Korea’s number two Kim Yong-Nam.

Kim Jong-Il shook hands with Roh and his wife Kwon Yang-Suk before stretching out his hand to invite them to walk the red carpet with him.

The two leaders inspected a guard of honour — Kim expressionless and Roh smiling — as a brass band blared military tunes.

Roh received a bouquet from a North Korean woman and held it up to the cheering crowd.

“Long life! Long life!” they chanted, waving bouquets of the national flower known as Kimjongilia.

Roh and Kim Yong-Nam then headed onto the streets of Pyongyang in their open limousine. Thousands of people lined the streets, shouting “Long life” and “Unification of fatherland.”

According to the original schedule Roh was supposed to be welcomed at another location by Kim Yong-Nam alone.

Then the ceremony was switched to the April 25 House of Culture and the surprise guest appeared. Kim Jong-Il similarly made a surprise appearance at the airport when Roh’s predecessor Kim Dae-Jung arrived in 2000 for the first summit between the two countries.

Some of the guests this time jumped up and down and waved their flowers. Others craned their necks to see the two leaders.

Seoul, Wednesday, AFP