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S. Koreans to return home after meeting Kim Jong-un in Pyongyang
By Korea HeraldPublished : Dec. 26, 2011 - 16:21
DORASAN, South Korea, Dec. 27 (Yonhap) -- Two high-profile South Korean delegations were to meet with the head of North Korea's parliament on Tuesday before returning home from a rare condolence trip to Pyongyang, an official said.
Lee Hee-ho, widow of late South Korean President Kim Dae-jung, and Hyundai Group chairwoman Hyun Jeong-eun, were to meet with Kim Yong-nam, president of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly, the North's ceremonial head of state, according to a South Korean official who was briefed on their planned encounter.
The meeting, scheduled to take place Tuesday morning, comes a day after the South Korean delegations traveled to Pyongyang to pay tribute to North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, who died of heart failure on Dec. 17.
The delegations also met with North Korea's new leader Kim Jong-un at Kumsusan Memorial Palace, where the body of his father, late North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, lies in state ahead of a state funeral set for Wednesday.
The South Koreans "expressed deep condolences and sympathy to Kim Jong-un," the North's official Korean Central News Agency reported late Monday. It said Kim expressed thanks for the South Koreans' visit.
It was the first time that the new leader had a face-to-face meeting with South Koreans since his father died.
A separate KCNA dispatch described Kim Jong-un as "sagacious leader of the party, state and army" of North Korea on Monday, the latest in an ongoing propaganda campaign to ensure the smooth transition of power following the sudden death of Kim's father.
The state media also praised the successor son in his late 20s as "an outstanding leader and a great sun," while calling for the nation's 24 million citizens to faithfully follow his leadership.
It was not immediately clear whether the young untested North Korean leader asked the delegations to convey any message to the South Korean government.
The North's media have warned that South Korea's attitude toward condolences could affect inter-Korean relations.
The trip comes as South Korea has showed signs it could adopt more flexible policies toward the North to try to improve the relations that have been strained over the North's two deadly attacks on the South last year.
South Korea expressed sympathies to the "people" of North Korea over Kim's death and has allowed civilians and private organizations to send written messages of condolence to the North.
However, Seoul only allowed the two delegations, each led by Lee and Hyun, to travel to the North, though the North has said it will accept all condolence delegations from South Korea.
South Korea made the exception because North Korea sent separate condolence delegations to Seoul after the deaths of President Kim Dae-jung, Lee's late husband, and Chung Mong-hun, Hyun's late husband and former Hyundai Group chairman.
Kim Dae-jung held a landmark summit with Kim Jong-il in 2000 while Chung pushed for joint venture economic projects with North Korea.
<한글기사>
김정은, 이희호-현정은 두손잡고 대화나눠
고(故) 김대중 전 대통령의 부인 이희호 여사, 현정은 현대그룹 회장이 김정은 노동당 중앙군사위원회 부위원장을 만나 조의를 표하는 장면이 27일 조선중앙TV를 통해 공개됐다.
중앙TV는 이날 오전 10시20분께 이 여사, 현 회장 등이 전날 오후 금수산기념궁전을 찾아 조의를 표하는 동영상을 공개했다.
3분 남짓 분량인 이 영상은 추도곡이 울리는 가운데 `추모 김대중평화센터 이사장 이희호' `추모 현대그룹 명예회장 현정은'이라는 이름이 새겨진 화환이 빈소로 들어가는 장면으로 시작됐다.
이어 이 여사가 김 부위원장에게 천천히 다가가 오른손으로 악수를 청하자 김 부위원장이 두 손으로 이 여사의 오른손을 감싸 쥐었다.
또 이 여사가 몇마디 말을 건네자 이 여사에 비해 키가 큰 김 부위원장이 즉시 허리를 숙여 경청하는 듯한 자세를 취하는 등 깍듯하게 대했다.
김 부위원장은 현 회장과의 만남에서도 두 손으로 현 회장의 손을 감싸쥐는 모습을 보여줬다. 특히 현 회장과는 마주 선 채 20초가량 대화를 나눴다.
이 여사와 현 회장을 대하는 김 부위원장은 비통함에 잠긴 전형적인 상주의 표정이었다.
젊은 남성이 청한 악수에 주로 한 손으로 응하던 김 부위원장은 이 여사의 유족으로 추정되는 한 젊은 남성이 청한 악수에는 두 손으로 응하는 `성의'를 보여주기 도 했다.
남측 조문단 일행과 김 부위원장이 인사를 나눈 장소에는 김영남 최고인민회의 상임위원장을 비롯해 김 부위원장의 동생 김여정으로 추정되는 여성도 서 있었다.
이 여사는 김 위원장의 시신이 안치된 관 주변을 천천히 돌아보다 잠시 멈춰서 시신을 향해 가볍게 고개를 숙이기도 했다.
북한은 이들 남측 조문단을 개성 관문인 북측 통행검사소에 리종혁 아시아태평양평화위원회 부위원장을 보내 맞이하는가 하면 북한을 찾은 최고위급 귀빈들이 묵 는 백화원초대소를 숙소로 제공하기도 했다.
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Articles by Korea Herald
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