Roh and Kim are all smiles, but little is expected from talks
Pyongyang (AsiaNews/Agencies) – South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun and North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il began formal talks on Wednesday at the first summit between the divided countries since 2000 as Washington announces its proposal for next Sunday’s Beijing summit on North Korea’s nuclear programme.
Since no official agenda with regard to intra-Korean summit was released, observers are focusing their attention on protocol and formal aspects of the meeting. They noted for instance that yesterday Kim coolly received Roh whilst today he is all smiles, affable.
Roh presented gifts to the North Korean leader that included a bookcase full of South Korean DVDs, featuring popular soap operas and films starring Lee Young-ae, believed to be Kim’s favourite starlet. Mr Kim is a known to be cinema buff.
Much attention has been on Mr Kim's recent ill-health since few pictures of the reclusive leader is ever released to foreign media. Mr Kim has no heir apparent, and there is a great deal of uncertainty over his succession given the dynastic nature of his system of power.
Although the summit is viewed as historic since it is second of its kind since the end of the 1950-1953 Civil War, not much is expected from the summit.
As today’s talks got under way, Mr Roh reportedly expressed concerns about flooding in the North which left more than 600 people dead, thousands homeless with huge damages to property and agriculture this summer.
After two hours, the leaders stopped for lunch and Mr Roh told reporters he and Mr Kim had engaged in "candid and frank" discussions.
Roh is expected to offer economic aid and discuss North Korea’s nuclear programme and border issues, especially their maritime border.
No one is expecting results anytime soon. Mr Roh is at the end of his mandate and presidential elections are scheduled for December. He is expected to run again, boasting of renewing dialogue with the North Korea, which is currently in extreme poverty with the population literally starving to death.
In the meantime US State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said Washington had endorsed a plan agreed with China to disable North Korea's main nuclear facilities in Yongbyon by the end of the year. It will be discussed at the next six-nation talks (US, China, the two Korea, Russia and Japan) next Sunday in Beijing.
The plan is to provide Pyongyang with economic aid in exchange for shutting its main nuclear power plant and giving up its nuclear programme. A formal agreement must still be signed.
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