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Two Koreas Meet in Rare Summit
South Korea's President Roh makes symbolic journey to North Korean capital.
SEOUL, South Korea, Oct. 2, 2007 — -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il dourly greeted a smiling South Korean President Roh Moo-Hyun Tuesday at the start of a much trumpeted three-day summit in Pyongyang.
The two leaders have ostensibly met to discuss "peace and economic cooperation," according to the South Korean government. But the real agenda and details of the summit are being withheld from the public, citing North Korean concerns over the security of their "Dear Leader Kim."
Earlier, Roh crossed the heavily fortified border between the north and the south on foot, the first leader from either side ever to do so since the countries were divided in 1953.
Roh's walk across the border's demarcation line was widely publicized via a live television broadcast and touted as a symbolic event organized by the South Korean government. As he stepped across the border Roh pledged to make his visit an effort to "remove the forbidden wall" between the north and south.
"This line is a wall that has divided the nation for a half century. Our people have suffered from too many hardships and development has been held up due to this wall," Roh said before crossing.
Roh and his three hundred strong entourage then drove two hours northward into the capital of North Korea, Pyongyang, where hundreds of thousands of citizens lined the streets cheering the South Korean delegation's arrival: "One Nation! Unification!"
The last leg of the journey was a four-mile open limousine car parade during which the South Koreans waved back to the mechanically enthusiastic North Korean women dressed specially for the occasion in colorful traditional costumes and waving bright pink and dark red artificial flower bouquets.
The motorcade was greeted by the North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il himself, standing in front of Pyongyang's Cultural Center. This new destination was a surprise to the South Korean delegation, who had been told the event would take place at another location, and Kim's appearance had not been confirmed in advance. The reclusive North Korean leader is rarely seen in public and has not been shown on television for some months.
