Inter-Korean Summit of Roh and Kim heightens peace hopes

Korean leaders meet in front of culture center in Pyongyang

Korea.Net, October 2, 2007

North Korea's leader Kim Jong-il, clad in his trademark military-style jumpsuit, made a surprise appearance in front of a culture center in Pyongyang Tuesday (Oct. 2) to greet South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun.

The leaders shook hands and inspected honor guards, as thousands of citizens cheered during the official welcoming event at the April 25 House of Culture, which is the North's largest performing art facility, often used for large-scale gatherings, television footage from Pyongyang showed.

The scene was reminiscent of an unscheduled meeting in 2000 between the North Korean leader and then-South Korean President Kim Dae-jung at Sunan Airport in the North Korean capital.

Keen attention was paid to the venue for the first Roh-Kim encounter in the three-day summit, with the welcoming ceremony originally planned to be held at the Monument to Three Charters for National Reunification at the entrance of Pyongyang.

Analysts here view the change as a means of keeping Kim's schedule secret for security reasons.

The April 25 Hall of Culture is a military-related facility, suitable for guarding the leaders.

Named after the birthday of the North Korean People's Army, the building has a 6,000-seat grand conference hall, a 1,100-capacity theater, a 600-seat cinema and other auxiliary facilities. The hall opened in 1975.

The North Korean government has held various important political events at the building.

In 2000, South Korean singer Kim Youn-ja held a concert there, and the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra performed at the hall a year later.

After exchanging greetings with each other's key Cabinet ministers and high-ranking aides, Roh left for the Paekhwawon State Guest House, the official accommodation for the president and the first lady, amid a warm welcome from a large number of North Korean citizens lining the streets of Pyongyang.

After his luncheon with South Korean delegates at the Paekhwawon State Guest House, Roh was to visit the Mansudae Assembly Hall to hold talks with Kim Yong-nam.

Roh will also visit Pyongyang's Three-Revolution Exhibition to inspect its Heavy Industry Hall before attending the official welcome dinner to be hosted by Kim Yong-nam at the Mokran Restaurant.

On Wednesday, Roh and North Korean leader Kim are expected to hold two rounds of summit talks for in-depth discussions on inter-Korean co-prosperity, peace, reconciliation and unification.

Specifically, they are expected to reach agreements on the South's participation in massive infrastructure and industrial development projects in the North. Depending on the results of the talks, the two leaders may adopt a joint statement.

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Inter-Korean Summit of heightens peace hopes

The Korea Herald, October 2, 2007

As the world watched, leaders from the two Koreas met face-to-face for the first time in seven years yesterday, elevating the hype over the three-day inter-Korean summit talks slated to end this Thursday. President Roh Moo-hyun also became the first South Korean head to cross the densely guarded Military Demarcation Line on foot en route to Pyongyang. It was a symbolic gesture highlighting the significance of the summit talks, which take place amid hopes of bringing peace to the Korean Peninsula.

In a surprise appearance, North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, wearing his signature khaki suit, welcomed Roh upon his arrival at the April 24 Hall of Culture building in Pyongyang at around 11:40 a.m.

The meeting between Roh and Kim was reminiscent of the first summit talks in 2000, when Kim Jong-il arrived unannounced to greet then-President Kim Dae-jung as he arrived at Pyongyang`s Sunan Airport. This time, however, Kim looked subdued, barely smiling.

Thousands of North Korean citizens, including women in colorful hanbok, cheered in the background, waving pink and red bouquets and chanting "manse (hooray)." The hall, named for the day the North Korean People`s Army was founded, is the North`s largest art facility and is often used for large-scale gatherings.

While traveling, Roh and first lady Kwon Yang-suk were escorted by Kim Yong-nam, the communist regime`s titular head of state. He is the chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme People`s Assembly.

At the opening ceremony, Roh and Kim Jong-il walked side by side, saluting the honor guards from the North Korean Army, Navy and Air Force. However, they did not exchange any words beyond basic greetings.

After shaking hands with key Cabinet ministers and high-ranking aides, Roh was driven to the Paekhwawon State Guest House through streets lined with North Korean citizens.

"People of North Korea and citizens of Pyongyang, it is good to see you all. Your kind welcome warms my heart deeply. I thank you sincerely," Roh said in a speech delivered upon his arrival. "The two Koreas are now on a new path of reconciliation and cooperation. South and North Korea must gather energy and establish a new history of peace on this land," he said.

The second summit talks are being held as cautious progress is made in multilateral talks on North Korea`s denuclearization. The United States and Japan have also expressed keen interest in the Roh-Kim meeting and the consequences it would have on regional security.

The two leaders are set to meet for two rounds of talks today.

South Korea aims to discuss and reach an agreement on extensive infrastructure and industrial development projects in the North.

Depending on progress, a joint statement could be released after the talks. The Seoul government hopes to include a peace declaration at the end of the summit meeting.

The presidential office has underscored that the summit talks will focus on the general topic of a peace regime, but has refrained from mentioning the nuclear negotiations more specifically. The government has repeatedly said that the nuclear issue is a matter to be tackled at the six-nation talks.

Also on the agenda are North Korea`s demand to redraw a maritime border off the west coast, and ways to speed up family reunions of separated Koreans.

The leaders are also likely to discuss expanding the number of tourism projects in the North, commencing agreed joint mining projects and ways of regularizing cross-border railways.

More sensitive issues that are less likely to be raised at the summit talks are the North`s nuclear programs, its human rights problems and the matter of abductees and war prisoners still believed to be alive.

A small commotion occurred at the Seoul press center in the afternoon when German human rights activist Dr. Norbert Vollertsen barged in, shouting "Free the North Koreans. This is a North Korean showcase. Raise human rights issues!" He was quickly escorted from the room.

Over 1,000 journalists from 200 media outlets gathered at the press center in central Seoul from across the globe, tuning into real-time pool reports coming from Pyongyang.

The Seoul government said an inter-Korean summit committee chaired by Prime Minister Han Duck-soo would today and tomorrow review the Pyongyang talks and prepare future steps.

Roh`s schedule for his first day included a visit to the Mansudae Assembly Hall in the afternoon to hold talks with Kim Yong-nam. Roh was also set to visit Pyongyang`s Three-Revolution Exhibition to inspect its Heavy Industry Hall before attending the official welcome dinner to be hosted by Kim Yong-nam at the Mokran Restaurant.

By Lee Joo-hee and Joint Press Corps

(angiely@heraldm.com)

2007.10.03

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