New NK leader accords high respect for S. Korean delegations

"His fleshy hand looks good."

This is what former South Korean lawmaker Kim Hong-up, the son of the late South Korean President Kim Dae-jung, said Tuesday about his impression of North Korea`s new leader Kim Jong Un when he shook hands with him.

Kim Hong-up returned home the same day from a visit to Pyongyang to pay his respects to the North’s late leader Kim Jong Il.

The South Korean mourning delegation led by Lee Hee-ho, the widow of Kim Dae-jung, held a news conference at the Customs, Immigration and Quarantine Office in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, the same day after returning from their visit to Pyongyang.

Before leaving the place, Kim Hong-up spoke to a Dong-A Ilbo reporter on the situation in which the delegation expressed sympathy to Kim Jong Un over his father`s death Monday at Kumsusan Memorial Palace, where Kim Jong Il`s corpse is being held.

Dong-A: Did you talk to Kim Jong Un personally?

Kim Hong-up: There were so many people (at Kumsusan Memorial Palace) that we had to stand in line to pay our respects (to Kim Jong Il). We couldn`t talk much with Kim Jong Un while standing in line. I just shook hands with him while passing by...

Dong-A: What did you talk about with Kim Jong Un?

Kim Hong-up: I couldn`t hear well as (Kumsusan Memorial Palace was) abuzz with mourners. Kim Jong Un shook hands with every member of our delegation. He just thanked us for coming.

Dong-A: How did Kim Jong Un look?

Kim Hong-up: He looked very depressed and grief stricken.

At that moment, Kim Hong-up`s son Jong-dae interrupted and said, "(Kim Jong Un) held out his hand to nobody, but he did to us."

Kim Hong-up agreed and continued his talk. “When other mourners flooded into the place behind us, he made room (between us and the other mourners). Thanks to this, we had more time than just passing by in line. Nevertheless, holding a conversation was difficult," he said.

As such, Kim Jong Un was polite to the delegation led by Lee Hee-ho and another led by Hyundai Group Chairwoman Hyun Jeong-eun, the widow of former group chairman Chung Mong-hun.

The North`s state-run Korea Central TV aired a scene Tuesday morning where Lee slowly approached Kim Jong Un to extend her hand to him, and the North`s new leader clasped Lee`s right hand with both of his hands. When Lee expressed sympathy over the deceased, Kim Jong Un, who is taller than Lee, bent down to listen to her.

When Kim Jong Un met Hyun, he also held Hyun`s hand with both hands and talked to her for about 20 seconds.

This was in stark contrast to how Kim Jong Un treated other mourners. He was shown holding his hand out for a handshake while standing upright, and in certain cases, he just received bows from mourners.

The Rodong Sinmun, the official daily of the North Korean ruling Workers` Party, carried an article on the mourning delegations of Lee and Hyun with pictures on the front page the same day.

Kim Jong Un treated Lee and Hyun with honor to show respect to the families of the late former South Korean President Kim and Hyundai Group Chairman Chung, both of whom had close relationships with his father Kim Jong Il. With the respectful treatment of Lee and Hyun, the North`s new leader showed his willingness to improve inter-Korean relations, according to experts.

The condolence delegations Tuesday morning met Kim Yong Nam, president of the North`s parliament, before returning home. On the meeting, the North`s state-run Korean Central News Agency said, "Lee and Hyun want the two inter-Korean joint declarations announced on June 15, 2000 and Oct. 4, 2007 to be implemented and expressed their willingness to make efforts toward this end."

Park Jie-won, the leader of the newly formed main opposition United Democratic Party who greeted Lee near the Demilitarized Zone, said, “Kim Yong Nam, Kim Yang Gon, director of the United Front Department of the Workers` Party, Won Dong Yon, vice president of the North`s Asia-Peace Committee (whom the delegation met in Pyongyang) called Kim Jong Un `general,` and Won said, `Gen. Kim Jong Un ordered us to treat you in the same way we did when you came here for the inter-Korean summit on June 15, 2000.` They also let Lee stay in the same room at Pyongyang`s state guesthouse, where she and Kim Dae-jung stayed on June 15, 2000.”

After arriving at the Customs, Immigration & Quarantine Office, Lee and Hyun said Kim Jong Un conveyed no concrete message to the South as their visit was to pay tribute to the deceased.

Yoon Cheol-koo, secretary general of the Kim Dae Jung Peace Center, said on Lee`s behalf, “Lee paid her tribute to the late Kim Jong Il after waiting 40 to 50 minutes,” adding, “Kim thanked Lee for traveling a long distance to pay tribute to his father."

Hyun, who returned home 30 minutes earlier than Lee, said, “I didn`t have a personal meeting with Kim Jong Un. I just offered my condolences to the deceased and didn`t meet him personally."

On her impression of Kim Jong Un and his character, Hyun just said, “He looked the same as described by the media.”

The Hyundai chairwoman also said she did not discuss inter-Korean projects, saying the purpose of her visit to pay her respects to the deceased.

zeitung@donga.com