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North Korean leader Kim Jong-il came out unexpectedly to welcome his South Korean counterpart Roh Moo-hyun at the start of the 2007 inter-Korean summit, which began yesterday in Pyongyang, but appeared more haggard than he had at the first summit seven years ago and the smiles he wore then seemed to have disappeared.

Appearing in front of the People’s Palace of Culture, Kim wore a short haircut spotted with gray hair here and there and seems to have lost much of his hair around the back of his head. Among other things, his face had more wrinkles than before, which were not covered by the dark sunglasses he usually wears. There were also more solid lines of wrinkles tracing their way around his mouth than could be seen seven years ago when he appeared in the media for his first meeting with the then-South Korean President Kim Dae-jung.

There was no smile and no shaking hands with President Roh this time around. A glimpse of a smile was witnessed for a brief time while he shook hands with first lady Kwon Yang-suk and other members of the South Korean entourage but his face soon turned expressionless once more. Even while shaking hands with his guests, his attitude remained blunt, compared with the warmth he showed in greeting the former president seven years ago. At the time, he held the South Korean president’s hands with his two hands. This time, it was with only one hand and just a couple of shakes, giving the impression that it was just a ceremonial action.

Still, he walked energetically and took a firm stance when he stood with President Roh. When he inspected the honor guard, he walked with hands swinging strongly back and forth. He also moved energetically while introducing his staff to his visiting South Korean counterparts. Responding to cheering Pyongyang citizens, Kim strongly clapped his hands and sometimes held his hands upward and waved them toward those hailing him. His grip on power seemed to be as solid as his grip on the hands of the North’s nominal head Kim Yong-nam, who held Kim’s hands with a slight nod as a gesture of respect when the two greeted one another.

As in 2000 when he greeted Kim Dae-jung at the first inter-Korean summit, the North Korean leader was in the khaki jumpsuit he usually wears when he visits military bases. Reportedly, he prefers to wear platform shoes to cover his short height, estimated to be around 160 cm to 165 cm. In the 2000 summit, there seemed to be no difference in height between he and former President Kim Dae-jung, who is 172 cm high. This time as well, little difference could be found when he stood alongside President Roh, who is 168 cm high.

Some experts say that the reason why Kim displayed a comparatively blunt attitude toward Roh might be because he recognizes that he is older than his South Korean counterpart. Seven years ago, Kim said to the visiting South Korean president that even a communist has respect for those older than he.

Speculation on his health status is still abundant. In early July, when he met a Chinese foreign ministry official, Kim’s haggard face inspired allegations that he might be suffering from some kind of disease. Yesterday, the obesity in his abdomen was still quite evident, but people have surmised that this, too, could be attributed to illness.

Last May, media reports said that Kim had undergone heart surgery from a team of German doctors and there are persistent rumors that he suffers from arthritis. By coming out to greet Roh, he may dispel some of these rumors, but he also left the strong impression that he has surely aged in the seven years since the last summit took place.