Mixed emotions at historic Korean meeting

NORTH KOREAN leader Kim Jong Il showed scant enthusiasm for the visiting South Korean president yesterday, while orchestrated crowds of thousands cheered the start of the second summit between the divided Koreas since World War II.

The reception in Pyongyang contrasted with the first north-south summit in 2000, when Kim greeted then-South Korean President Kim Dae-jung with smiles and clasped both his hands tightly in an emotional moment that softened the North Korean strongman’s image to South Koreans and the world.

This time, Kim appeared reserved and unemotional, walking slowly and occasionally clapping lightly to encourage the crowd at the outdoor welcome ceremony waving red and pink paper flowers.

South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun appeared to revel in the moment, waving and smiling broadly before reviewing a goose-stepping North Korean military honour guard wielding rifles with bayonets — part of its million-strong forces that face the South across the world’s most heavily armed frontier.

The 12-minute encounter was the only known meeting yesterday between the leaders, who are to begin formal talks today.

Roh has said his goal at the summit is fostering prosperity between the North and South, which remain technically at war since a 1953 ceasefire halted the Korean War, despite seven years of warming ties since their first summit.