NationStates Jolt Archive

Stepping into the international spotlight at a delicate time for his isolated regime, the North Korean leader Kim Jong Il greeted South Korean President Roh Moo Hyun, who arrived in Pyongyang Tuesday for a summit meeting. Roh was met by the cheers of hundreds of thousands of North Koreans.

The mobilized crowd erupted into well-choreographed chants of "hurrays!" and "national unification!" as Roh rode through central Pyongyang in an open limousine with Kim Yong Nam, the North's nominal head of state but second to Kim in power.

The usually drab sidewalks of Pyongyang blossomed in color as North Koreans dressed in their holiday best waved pink and red paper flowers, according to South Korean television footage from Pyongyang. Roh, only the second South Korean president to visit Pyongyang since the two Koreas were divided 60 years ago, smiled and waved.

Roh travels with a bold initiative: if North Korea agrees to escalate down a half century of animosity with arms cuts, the South will help rebuild the North's moribund economy, creating a "joint economic community" as a prelude to eventual reunification. [...]

The two Koreas remain technically at war since the 1950-53 Korean War ended in a cease-fire, and that status is considered by many South Koreans as a root cause of tension on the divided peninsula.

Roh said he would use his summit to help make progress in six-nation talks where regional powers have been trying for years to end the North's nuclear weapons programs. U.S. officials warn that any attempt to replace the Korean armistice with a formal peace treaty — a process that would involve the United States and China, both parties to the Korean War — must be preceded by progress in nuclear talks.

http://img407.imageshack.us/img407/478/tbdzd9.png

(link (http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/10/02/asia/02cndkorea.php))

The people's actions, I wouldn't look into it too deeply because its choreographed as was mentioned by the article.

But I wonder if this will really work out. Didn't NK have a history of behaving badly to get gifts to behave well only to behave badly again down the line?

The people's actions, I wouldn't look into it too deeply because its choreographed as was mentioned by the article.

But I wonder if this will really work out. Didn't NK have a history of behaving badly to get gifts to behave well only to behave badly again down the line?

The fact that they were choreographed to huzzah for reunion should say something.

However, as you point out, we're dealing with decades of manipulation so who knows what the real message is here.

It reminds me of something, some cartoon about hearing what we want to hear.

South Koreans hear "National Reunification" and extrapolate steps towards a peaceful resolution.

North Koreans hear "National Reunification" and extrapolate the final destruction of the South and their puppet masters.

Beyond that, who knows how it's played out on NK national TV.

Is Kim wearing high heels?

http://img407.imageshack.us/img407/478/tbdzd9.png

(link (http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/10/02/asia/02cndkorea.php))

Wow, check out the fucking sword. That is sweet as.

Anyway, diplomacy FTW.

Is Kim wearing high heels?

I don't know. Never seen high heels like that. But that is one painful looking arch.

Wow, check out the fucking sword. That is sweet as.

Maybe it's just me, but from the way he's holding it, it looks like he's about to give himself a big gash on the leg when he walks.

Is Kim wearing high heels?

Those are correctives. Kim has flat feet.

I don't know. Never seen high heels like that. But that is one painful looking arch.



Maybe it's just me, but from the way he's holding it, it looks like he's about to give himself a big gash on the leg when he walks.

I don't normally go in for those blooper-type clips on cheap TV shows and youtube, but I'd pay to see that.

Roh seems to have a "Smile or they will kill me" smile.

Roh seems to have a "Smile or they will kill me" smile.

In contrast to Kim's 'He better be smiling or I'll have him killed' frown.

Look at the soldiers. I bet that if you dropped a cheeseburger in front of them, chaos would ensue.


...

*begins plotting*

In contrast to Kim's 'He better be smiling or I'll have him killed' frown.

I don't know. Their smiles better coincide with what you said earlier.


South Koreans hear "National Reunification" and extrapolate steps towards a peaceful resolution.

North Koreans hear "National Reunification" and extrapolate the final destruction of the South and their puppet masters.


If it was some kind of Disney show with camera pan, Roh would be scene skipping about, chanting happily with flowers and sunshine while Kim would be the dark villain with storm clouds on his shoulders as he plots his next move.

:p

Look at the soldiers. I bet that if you dropped a cheeseburger in front of them, chaos would ensue.


...

*begins plotting*

Sorry LG, NK has a habit of feeding its soldiers the best available, and you'd know they'd pick the most impressive (such as it is), for their parades.

You need more than a cheeseburger, so put away that catapult.

Sorry LG, NK has a habit of feeding its soldiers the best available, and you'd know they'd pick the most impressive (such as it is), for their parades.

You need more than a cheeseburger, so put away that catapult.

Blast! :(


*considers tacos*

Sorry LG, NK has a habit of feeding its soldiers the best available, and you'd know they'd pick the most impressive (such as it is), for their parades.

You need more than a cheeseburger, so put away that catapult.

Their best isn't very good, a small packet of French fries would probably do it.

There's a NORTH Korea?

There's a NORTH Korea?

:D

Their best isn't very good, a small packet of French fries would probably do it.

Do they look that malnourished to you?

Do they look that malnourished to you?

Nearly impossible to tell from the photo. But of course they could be high-ranking guys anyway. In general though, judging from what I have read, the army is like the rest of North Korea; low morale and low food.

Do they look that malnourished to you?

Maybe not, but with malnourishment, its the inside that counts.

Roh seems to have a "Smile or they will kill me" smile.

In contrast to Kim's 'He better be smiling or I'll have him killed' frown.

Oh, how much an innocent photo reveals. :D

You know what I immediately think whenever I see a picture of Kim Jong Il?

"I'm so ronery, so ronery and sadry arone. Now there's no one, just me onry, sitting on my rittle throne":D

After the last summit in 2000 Kim jong loony was suppossed to go south and visit Seoul.

Never happened.. why come the cries

Simple.... North Korean media would have to cover such an event, and showing the south as a rich, prosperous, heavily populated place that it is, instead of the poor US oppressed place normally shown in North Korean media would cause the population of North Korea to go WTF!

Mind you the South Korean president's trip to North Korea comes at a time when his party is lagging behind the opposition in the polls and theres an election due.... so I think the trip is more about electioneering in the south than anything concrete

I really hope a lot of good things come of this. North Korea has a lot of opportunity and it could be developed with aid from South Korea and China if they would work with the rest of the Asian powers to defuse their standoff with the West and move towards better relations.

Hopefully these visits will do to North Korea what Nixon's visit did to China.

I see ol' Kim is packin' on the pounds there.

Hopefully these visits will do to North Korea what Nixon's visit did to China.what did it do?

what did it do?

It led to a decline in tensions between our countries and started the process of opening their country to the world economy. It pretty much marked the start of Chinese economic development and the rise of a much more realistic Chinese government, with positive effects for China and the rest of the world. Over the next 10 years, the Chinese government initiated the transition from their planned economy to a market economy.

It also made China a de facto ally of the US against the Soviet Union, which was integral to the revitalization of detente in the 1970's.

Um...Nixon's visit to China opened up China and brought well a quasi-open free market.

I thought it just got him out of the country for a while?

what did it do?

Um...Nixon's visit to China opened up China and brought well a quasi-open free market.

It led to a decline in tensions between our countries and started the process of opening their country to the world economy. It pretty much marked the start of Chinese economic development and the rise of a much more realistic Chinese government, with positive effects for China and the rest of the world. Over the next 10 years, the Chinese government initiated the transition from their planned economy to a market economy.Um...Nixon's visit to China opened up China and brought well a quasi-open free market.in another words... Nixon made China what it is today?

Well... not quite. There was the little matter of the role of the Chinese government, y'know.I do.

My last question was -something of a- reality check for Corneliu and Vetalia (or anyone trying to say Nixon did it).

in another words... Nixon made China what it is today?

Well... not quite. There was the little matter of the role of the Chinese government, y'know.

Maybe not, but with malnourishment, its the inside that counts.

Doesn't malnourishment leave you with that skin and bones look?

in another words... Nixon made China what it is today?

Not alone. It took actions on the Chinese side to undo the economic and cultural damage of Maoism and open their economy to the rest of the world.

I see ol' Kim is packin' on the pounds there.

I suspect he'd dive for the cheeseburger too anyway. :p