hankyoreh

the South’s chief delegate and Vice Unifincation Minister shakes hands with his counterpart Choi Seung-cheol(second from right) in preparatory talk held on Aug. 14 in Gaeseong

Much was accomplished during working-level talks that took place in Gaeseong on August 14, in advance of the upcoming inter-Korean summit. The two Koreas agreed on the basic framework necessary for conducting the second summit, including transportation and the number of South Korean delegates who will be in attendance. At the top of the agenda will be the issues of peace, prosperity and reunification.

President Roh Moo-hyun will travel to Pyongyang through the reconnected cross-border Gyeongui Line and the number of delegates will be approximately 200, a 20-member increase from the first summit in 2000. The North has accepted almost all of the South’s proposals, demonstrating its desire for a successful summit.

Contrary to original expectations, both South and North agreed that the South Korean delegates would travel to Pyongyang using the highway between Gaeseong and the capital city. There are security concerns surrounding the use of the highway because passenger cars are obliged to travel on the road at the speed of around 80km per hour, but both sides chose it as a way to demonstrate the smooth progress of inter-Korean relations.

it is especially exceptional to note that President Roh will use his own official car to travel to Pyongyang, considering the diplomatic custom that dictates that a visiting President use a car provided by the host country. President Roh will continue to use the official car while staying in the North and security service vehicles will accompany President Roh throughout the trip.

Vice Unification Minister Lee Kwan-se, the South’s chief delegate, said, “The North first mentioned it,” referring to the fact that the North first proposed the idea that Roh would use official South Korean governmental vehicles for travel to and from the summit.

By agreeing to travel to Pyongyang by car, it is possible that Roh and Kim Jong-il will visit the Gaeseong industrial complex on August 30, the last day of the summit, depending on the results of the meeting. The problem of which vehicles will be used by Roh’s entourage will be discussed at later date.

The two sides also agreed that the number of South Korean delegates will be 202, 20 more than that for the first summit. South Korea plans to convey its list of representatives to the North by August 21, a week before the summit. Considering the delegation with former President Kim Dae-jung at the first summit in 2000, Roh’s retinue is expected to include figures from politics, business, culture, media and sports, as well as governmental officials such as Roh’s chief of staff Moon Jae-in, National Intelligence Service chief Kim Man-bok and Unification Minister Lee Jae-joung. As South-North economic cooperation is the core issue of the summit, many figures in the business field are also likely take part in the delegation.

The two leaders will talk about three issues - peace on the Korean Peninsula, joint prosperity of South and North and a new phase in the reunification of the nation - as stated in the agreement regarding Roh’s visit to Pyongyang that was written on August 5.

A figure who took part in preparations for the 2000 summit said, “In the North, it’s hard for working-level officials to mention what will be discussed. The two leaders are expected to talk broadly about matters of mutual concern, rather than being restricted by a specific agenda.”

Details, such as the number of meetings between Roh and Kim during the Pyongyang visit and the places that Roh will inspect, are yet to be decided.

Though there is concern that the North may request a visit to Geumsusan Memorial Palace, where Kim Il-sung lies in state and perfectly preserved, the issue has not yet come up for discussion. Vice Unification Minister Lee said, “The North hasn’t mentioned the matter.”

The palace visit became an issue during the first summit in 2000, when the North asked for a courtesy visit to the palace and then-South Korea President Kim Dae-jung politely declined the request.

Seoul will dispatch a 30-member advance team to Pyongyang seven days before the summit in order to prepare for the meeting.