海角大神

The widow of a former South Korean president invoked memories of the brightest moment in North-South relations Monday as she visited the bier in Pyongyang of the late North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il.

Mr. Kim's successor, Kim Jong-un,聽stood quietly by as 90-year-old Lee Hee-ho wrote that she hoped 鈥渢he spirit of the June 15 South-North Joint Declaration鈥� 鈥� signed by her late husband Kim Dae-jung and Kim Jong-il in June 2000 鈥� 鈥渨ould be carried forward to achieved national reunification as soon as possible.鈥�

Ms. Lee's visit was a poignant reminder of the hopes from that earlier summit and South Korea's failed Sunshine policy of reconciliation with the North. That effort stalled as North Korea forged ahead with nuclear and missile programs.聽South Korea's current president,聽Lee Myung-bak, ended the Sunshine policy but allowed Lee to undertake today's trip.

The decision to permit her and another widow deeply involved in North Korea to lead condolence delegations to Pyongyang represents more of a special exception rather than a significant olive branch.聽The government denied permission for all other South Koreans,聽notably politicians critical of its hard-line policy.

But Lee and Hyun Jeong-un, widow of Hyundai chairman Chung Mong-hun聽whose company opened up special zones for business and tourism in North Korea, had聽personal and historical ties that could not be ignored.聽Lee's husband, who died in 2009, won the Nobel Peace Prize six months after the North-South summit. Mr. Chung committed suicide in 2003 after his indictment for passing enormous bribes to persuade Kim Jong-il to agree to the summit.

For Lee, the journey by road to Pyongyang marked her first visit to North Korea since she flew there with her husband for the summit. Her yearning for a return to her husband鈥檚 Sunshine policy is shared by many of her husband鈥檚 allies and followers, but she avoided bitterness before entering North Korea at the truce village of Panmunjom 40 miles north of here.

In a statement read by an aide, Lee said simply, "I hope that our trip to North Korea will help improve relations between South and North Korea.鈥�

KCNA said the two widows inscribed their thoughts in a mourners鈥� book. Kim Jong-un thanked them 鈥� the first words that he鈥檚 been known to have uttered to visitors from South Korea.聽聽Kim Jong-un was 鈥渟tanding vigil beside the bier with other members of the funeral committee,鈥� according to KCNA, when wreaths were laid in their name 鈥渁mid the playing of solemn music.鈥�

Kim Jong-un was busy not only with preparations for the funeral on Wednesday but also with assuming the power held by his father for 17 years.

North Korea鈥檚 party newspaper Rodong Sinmun on Monday called on North Korea鈥檚 armed forces 鈥渢o protect Kim Jong eun as respected leader of the party鈥檚 central committee.鈥� That鈥檚 the latest聽聽sign of the build-up of Mr. Kim 鈥渁s great successor鈥� to his father, reported one week ago to have died of a massive heart attack on Dec. 17.

Kim Jong-un 鈥撀犅燼lready hailed as 鈥渟upreme commander鈥� 鈥� is expected to rule behind a junta led by an uncle, Jang Song-thaek, husband of Kim Jong-il鈥檚 sister. An official photograph has shown the portly young Kim, his stomach protruding beneath a plain dark blue uniform, beside an uncle wearing a dress uniform displaying the stars of a high-ranking general as they bowed before his father鈥檚 coffin.

鈥淜im Jong-un will be focused on consolidating his power and the other key leaders in the country will be focused on not letting things fall apart,鈥� says Bruce Bechtol, author of numerous studies of North Korean security issues, most recently聽Defiant Failed State. With 鈥渞egime priority鈥� North Korea鈥檚 鈥渕ost important priority,鈥� Bechtol estimates the new leader 鈥渟tands only a 50-50 chance of being able to consolidate his power and rule the DPRK鈥� 鈥� that is, the Democratic People鈥檚 Republic of Korea 鈥� though he believes 鈥渘o one else has enough of a power base to take over.鈥�

In a bid to to show the strength and continuity of the regime, North Korea is making a huge issue of condolences. The North's Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea came out with a harsh attack Sunday on South Korean authorities for denying permission for other South Koreans to go to Pyongyang bearing condolences.

The committee warned that such 鈥渙bstructions will entail unpredictable catastrophic consequences鈥� and 鈥渢est the morality of the South Korean authorities 鈥� and the 鈥渟incerity of their call for improvement of the North-South relations."

None of the visitors to Pyongyang will attend the funeral itself.聽聽Both Lee Hee-ho and Hyun Jeong-eun are returning to South Korea on Tuesday, one day before the funeral.

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