Mountain of tasks before us, says visiting Kim

PYONGYANG, JUNE 13. The South Korean President, Mr. Kim Dae-jung, said today he hoped his unprecedented visit to North Korea would banish the long shadow of war from the divided Korean peninsula and pave the way for eventual reunification.

In a banquet speech at the end of the first of three days of talks, Mr. Kim also expressed the hope that the summit would ease the reunion of more than one million families divided by the border that has split Korea for half a century.

``It is my desire that, through this visit, 70 million Koreans will be able to be liberated from the fear of a possible war,'' the official English translation of Mr. Kim's prepared remarks said.

Family reunions were becoming increasingly urgent with the passage of time, he said.

``Many of the family members are passing away due to their advanced age....we have to attend to their life-long wishes.'' Mr. Kim admitted there was a mountain of tasks facing the two Koreas, and they had to be tackled practically, one at a time, taking the easier issues first.

``We have to explore the areas that will benefit both sides.'' Mr. Kim suggested, for example, reopening blocked road and rail connections and opening new sea lanes and air routes between the capitalist South and the secretive communist North.

``When that happens, all Koreans will be able to travel freely between the two sides and work toward reconciliation, cooperation and eventual reunification.''

By working together, the two neighbours - technically at war since an armed truce ended the Korean war in 1953 - had a chance not only to contribute to peace and stability in northeast Asia but also to send a message that would echo around the world.

``History has awarded glory to those nations that choose reconciliation and cooperation rather than distrust and confrontation,'' the South Korean leader said.

Earlier, Mr. Kim arrived in Pyongyang today at 10:25 a.m (0125 GMT) after a 67-minute flight from Seoul that took a circuitous route over the sea instead of crossing directly over the heavily fortified border.

Mr. Kim was met by the North Korean leader, Mr. Kim Jong-IL, at the airport as crowds of cheering North Koreans waving red and pink flowers lined a red carpet leading to the South Korean leader's plane. The meeting, over the three days, is the first between the two countries that were separated in 1948.

Mr. Kim is accompanied by 130 businessmen and officials as well as by 50 South Korean journalists, whose material is incorporated in this story. Foreign reporters were excluded from the trip.

Mr. Kim is to have at least two meetings with his paunchy North Korean namesake, a shadowy figure lionised as a saviour and polymath by his countrymen but demonised abroad as a hard- drinking playboy and mastermind of terrorism.

But he played down popular expectations of a breakthrough from the summit, which was delayed by 24 hours after Pyongyang asked for more time to complete technical preparations.

``I don't believe that we can resolve all problems at one meeting,'' Mr. Kim said. ``It must become an avenue for ongoing and continuous dialogue between the South and North.'' The best that can be hoped for in the short term, according to independent analysts, is an agreement on the delivery of increased South Korean aid in return for more family reunions.

- Reuters

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