NAPSNet Daily Report 5 October, 2007
Contents in this Issue:
- II. Republic of Korea
II. Republic of Korea
1. Kim Jong-il’s Absence
Chosun Ilbo (Kim Min-chul, “KIM JONG-IL DOES NOT ATTEND PERFORMANCE, DINNER”, Seoul, 2007/10/04) reported that DPRK leader Kim Jong-il did not attend the Arirang performance or the dinner party which were given for ROK President Roh Moo-hyun during the inter-Korean summit on October 3. Kim’s absence from was unexpected, although there was no prior appointment. Analysts believes that Kim was displeased because Roh withdrew his suggestion to stay on.
2. Joint Olympic Cheering Squad
Hankyoreh (“ROK AND DPRK KOREANS TO TRAVEL BY TRAIN TO BEIJING OLYMPICS”, Seoul, 2007/10/05) reported that the ROK and DPRK are about to create their first “official” joint cheering squad for an international sports event. Even better, the cheering squad is going to go to the 2008 Beijing Olympics via the Seoul-Sinuiju railway connecting the DPRK and ROK. Making it happen, however, will require that a few issues are resolved. First there is the issue of the train itself. The second problem is about convenience. Even if such problems are solved, complicated problems still remain in connection with the details such as the size of a joint cheering squad, the way to form it, and the time to launch it. Related authorities in both Koreas should meet to discuss these problems.