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Korean summit ends; South unveils details to enact agreement
PYONGYANG, North Korea -- With the stroke of a pen, North and South Korean leaders have signaled a historic turning point on the Korean Peninsula, and raised hopes for the nations' eventual reunification. With the signing of the historic agreement achieved, South Korean President Kim Dae-jung prepared to leave the North Korean capital on Thursday for Seoul, where residents have been in a near religious fervor since the inter-Korean summit began. The landmark document -- also signed by North Korean leader Kim Jong Il -- commits the Koreas to work toward reunification, to allow the reunions of families separated during the three-year Korean War, and to improve economic cooperation between the nations.
South Korean officials outlined on Thursday plans for implementing Wednesday's historic agreement -- including the creation of a military hotline and building a railway crossing at the nations' heavily patrolled border. "To prevent any unexpected military incident, we will push for the establishment of a direct military hotline," South Korea announced. The Koreas remain technically at war as the 1950-53 Korean War ended in an armed truce. The nations exchanged heavy fire in the Yellow Sea almost a year ago, when a North Korean boat was sunk. It was the bloodiest battle between the Koreas since the end of the war. Kim Dae-jung, despite being scorned by his political opponents, refused to let that incident alter his "sunshine policy" of engagement with the North, which had a history of terrorism, infiltration and provocations against the South. Family reunions to occur graduallySouth Korea's plan also calls for the gradual reunion of tens of thousands of families. The first reunions are expected to take place around August 15, when the Koreas commemorate their liberation from Japanese occupation at the end of World War II. "The process should not be a one-time deal. Rather, it must be institutionalized so that ultimately, all separated family members will be reunited," South Korea announced. South Korean television on Thursday showed footage of Kim Dae-jung and Kim Jong Il sitting side-by-side during lunch. The atmosphere appeared to be cordial, and the South Koreans thanked the North's leaders for being gracious hosts. Other images that will be remembered from the summit, touted as a success by both sides, include the two leaders raising champagne glasses, Kim Jong Il joking about his international image as a hermit, shared smiles, a red-carpet welcome and a highly symbolic two-handed handshake. The leaders on Wednesday took the biggest step towards peace on the Korean Peninsula since the unofficial end of the Korean War when they signed the landmark agreement. Following the signing and celebratory champagne toast, Kim Dae-jung and Kim Jong Il clasped their hands, and raised them above their heads in friendship and triumph. Kim Jong Il also agreed to visit Seoul for a reciprocal summit. Japan welcomes agreementKim Dae-jung praised his counterpart for helping him reach a "historic agreement," and said the two must "proceed together on a path of reconciliation and cooperation." Japanese officials on Thursday applauded the agreement, and said they hoped the pact would help improve relations between Tokyo and North Korea. "The agreement constitutes a major change towards peace," Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori said in a statement. "In the meantime, we hope that it will have a favorable effect on normalization of talks between Japan and North Korea," Japanese Foreign Minister Yohei Kono added. However, Kim Jong Il and Kim Dae-jung did not reach a consensus on two other major issues: Withdrawal of nearly 40,000 U.S. troops in South Korea, and North Korea's long-range and nuclear missile programs. Also Wednesday, Kim Dae-jung and North Korean legislative leader Kim Young Nam discussed the possibility of opening representative offices in each other's countries, and about improving economic cooperation. Optimism and euphoria swept across South Korea on Tuesday as the three-day summit began, and South Koreans' expectations were heightened when Kim Jong Il greeted Kim Dae-jung with the two-handed handshake. The gesture -- a sign of friendship and respect in Korea -- set the tone for the meetings. Kim Dae-jung is the first South Korean leader to visit the Communist North. The Koreas have maintained heavily armed borders since a cease-fire agreement in 1953 ended the fighting. A summit had been planned for 1994, but then North Korean leader Kim Il Sung died weeks before the meeting. Seoul Bureau Chief Sohn Jie-Ae, Correspondent Mike Chinoy, The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
RELATED STORIES: Leaders reach agreement at historic North-South Korean summit RELATED SITES: North Korea: Politics and Government | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Symbolism and atmosphere are important when dealing with North Korea, as CNN's Mike Chinoy reports.
CNN's Sohn Jie-ae has a video profile of South Korean President Kim Dae-jung. (June 13)
CNN's Mike Chinoy shows the events surrounding the first day of the summit. (June 13)
South Koreans are happy about the summit, as CNN's Sohn Jie-ae shows. (June 13)
