Ex-first lady, Hyundai CEO return after meeting NK leaders
By Kim Young-jin
Former first lady Lee Hee-ho and Hyundai Group Chairwoman Hyun Jeong-eun returned home Tuesday from a rare trip to North Korea, saying their meetings with North Korean leaders focused on expressing condolences for the loss of the late ruler Kim Jong-il.
The visit was apparently well received. A spokesman for Lee commented that Kim Yong-nam, chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme People’s Assembly, said during talks earlier that the gesture would help promote inter-Korean relations.
The two-day trip was the only condolence visit allowed by the Lee Myung-bak administration. The two delegations visited the leader’s body lying in state at a mausoleum in Pyongyang, Monday, directly after which they shared a brief exchange with Kim Jong-un, the North’s chosen successor.
The spokesman added that Kim Jong-un thanked Lee for traveling the long distance to pay her respects to his father, who died Dec. 17 of a heart attack, according to the North’s state media.
Lee, the widow of former President Kim Dae-jung, and Hyun toured the joint Gaeseong Industrial Complex (GIC) shortly before returning to the South.
Observers said the tour of the industrial park, located near the western border, symbolized the groups’ support for inter-Korean reconciliation efforts. The GIC was born from a landmark summit between former President Kim and Kim Jong-il in 2000.
Their meeting with Kim Jong-un drew interest as little is known about the young man thought to be in his late twenties. Though the North’s media has elevated him as successor since his father’s death, questions still remain over whether he can take unquestioned power.
It also raised questions about the future of inter-Korean relations that have soured in recent years. Cooperation has slowed to a near halt after the Lee administration tied aid to denuclearization steps by the North, and Pyongyang twice waged deadly attacks last year.
Kim Yong-nam, the North’s ceremonial head of state, expressed hope that the visit could build momentum toward joint declarations signed during landmark inter-Korean summits, according to Lee’s aide.
But some critics here argued it only provided fodder for the North’s media to help build the legitimacy of the third-generation hereditary power transfer.
The North will hold a funeral today and memorial services Thursday before closing the official mourning period for the senior Kim.
Since the announcement of Kim’s death, Pyongyang has sought to rally support around Kim Jong-un, calling him the “Great Successor” and hinting that he was head of the ruling Workers’ Party.
Seoul has acted cautiously, expressing sympathy to the North Korean people but allowing only the two groups to travel to the North.
Pyongyang slammed Seoul for restricting citizens from paying their respects.
Lee’s late husband famously implemented the Sunshine Policy of engagement aimed at fostering rapprochement. Hyun’s late husband, Chung Mong-hun, pushed for economic cooperation between the sides as Hyundai Group chairman.