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JUNE
26, 2000 VOL. 155 NO. 25
Moon
Chung in two Days on the Other Side
A
first-person account of the human drama in Pyongyang
P
L U S
Families: New hopes for
divided clans
Makeover: The experts
offer fashion tips to Kim Jong Il
New Improved: Who knew
Kim Jong Il had a kinder, gentler side?
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AFP
Viewpoint: Hugs all round: In Seoul, a replay of the historic moment
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For
me, the visit was like being in a surrealist movie, amid contrasting moods
of division and unification, war and peace, hostility and friendship.
On several occasions, I was emotionally overwhelmed. The first occurred
during the surprising airport reception by Chairman Kim Jong Il. We had
not expected him to be there, and his presence portended the success of
the summit. Accompanied by members of his powerful inner circle, Kim received
the delegation from the South by the aircraft and invited President Kim
Dae Jung to ride with him to the Paekhwawon State Guesthouse. This was
the historic first encounter between the two leaders of Korea, and they
were able to establish a rapport during that limousine ride.
The next emotional rush came as we were greeted by more than 600,000 Pyongyang
citizens lining the road to the guesthouse. This sea of people‹waving
flowers, chanting words of welcome and shedding tears of happiness‹moved
the delegates from the South. The sounds, colors and expressions of joy
seemed to bless our long march to peaceful coexistence and national unification.
The crowds were obviously mobilized, but I sensed authenticity and spontaneity
in their welcome.
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During
our two-day visit, we were treated to remarkable displays of North Korean
arts and cuisine. A few of the dance performances were far superior to
anything I have seen in the South. I could not find any vestige of the
socialist realism that used to be so common in North Korea's artistic
expression. The performances blended modernity and tradition, East and
West, vitality and grace. North Korea appears to enjoy a comparative advantage
over us in cuisine, too. Their food was simple but delicious.
I will never forget my own meeting with Chairman Kim at Mokran House during
the state dinner hosted by President Kim on the second day. There had
been rumors that Chairman Kim would skip the event, but he turned up.
Contrary to his reputation for being dour and reclusive, he was charismatic,
commanding, confident. His handshake was firm and friendly. He was like
a movie director, brilliantly orchestrating events. He literally stole
the show with his wit, telling President Kim, "Your visit has liberated
me from being a hermit!" He seemed well aware that the world was watching
their encounter.
What surprised me most was how freewheeling and casual Chairman Kim turned
out to be. He was a good listener, attentive when people talked. He also
treated President Kim with the respect befitting an elder person. He clearly
understands the concept of filial piety. Chairman Kim also answered our
questions with an appealing spontaneity. He was well informed about South
Korea because he watches our TV programs on kbs, mbc and sbs. (He says
he prefers kbs because it is state-run.) Chairman Kim was also attentive
to the First Lady. Since he hadn't brought his wife, the South Korean
side arranged for its First Lady, Lee Hee Ho, to sit with the other delegates.
Chairman Kim instantly instructed his staff to move the First Lady's seat
to the head table, quipping: "President Kim, since you arrived in Pyongyang,
you have been urging me to resolve the plight of separated families. But
you yourself have become a separated family in Pyongyang."
The atmosphere at the dinner was like that of a family gathering. The
North-South Joint Declaration was discussed, agreed upon and signed amid
the cheerful sounds of the feast. Toward the end of the meal, both leaders
walked up to a podium and announced their full agreement on the declaration.
It was another historic moment.
The climax came at a farewell lunch at the guesthouse hosted by Chairman
Kim. He toasted us with French wine. The lunch menu included precious
bear-foot and sharks'-fin soups. The guests eventually approached the
head table, and everyone, including the two Kims, sang Our Wish Is Unification.
Emotion prevailed over reason. Peace seemed near, war forgotten. Feelings
of hostility melted over the exchange of toasts and reconfirmations of
brotherhood.
President Kim had come to Pyongyang with low expectations. He had set
modest goals, emphasizing the significance of the meeting itself, the
prospects of family reunions and economic cooperation. The Joint Declaration,
however, went far beyond those goals, spelling out how North and South
can initially steer the unification process. In the Declaration, North
Korea made major concessions. It relaxed its former position of excluding
foreign intervention in the unification process and accommodated the South
Korean confederation proposal, which presupposes one nation, two states,
two governments, two systems. It also committed Chairman Kim to visit
Seoul in the near future. The first step on the road to peaceful coexistence
and unification has proven amazingly successful. And I can tell my grandchildren:
"I was there when it happened."
Moon Chung In, a political science professor at Seoul's Yonsei University,
accompanied Kim Dae Jung to Pyongyang.
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