The world’s most heavily fortified border will be the scene of a seminal moment in diplomatic relations today when the President of South Korea crosses over by foot for a summit with his reclusive counterpart, Kim Jong Il.

Roh Moo Hyun will make the short drive from his residence in Seoul to the demilitarised zone, the armed boundary between the two Koreas. There, he will step out of his limousine and stride 30 metres over what is the world’s last Cold War front.

The leaders of north and south have met only once since an armistice ended fighting on the peninsula 54 years ago. This will be the first time that a South Korean head of state has crossed the border by land. When Mr Roh’s predecessor made the first trip in 2000, he travelled by plane.

Mr Roh will be stepping into an unfamiliar world when he enters North Korea. The President’s contingent will take fuel, communications equipment, television antennas and other supplies to Pyongyang in its motorcade of 300 cars – highlighting the energy shortage and other privations that are suffered in the North.

Mr Roh’s presidential legacy will be defined by who is there to meet him. The Blue House – his official residence – has staked a huge amount on this summit. If the “Dear Leader” does not appear initially or keeps his guest waiting for more than a day, the embarrassment will be considerable.

The first summit seven years ago was charged with optimism. Kim Dae Jung was met on the tarmac of Pyongyang airport by Kim Jong Il: under the unprecedented glare of international scrutiny, the summit began with a stiff handshake but ended with three bear hugs.

The spectacle of the previous encounter will remain, but the warmth has evaporated almost completely. Political analysts say that Mr Roh is desperate that his presidency will be remembered for a revival of the so-called Sunshine Policy that offered a glimmer of hope for progress on the divided peninsula. Much, though, has changed since 2000. Pyongyang has tested a nuclear weapon and test-fired ballistic missiles. Seoul has been grudgingly forced to admit that efforts to stimulate joint economic growth – with a special industrial zone and other projects – have failed.

The leaders admire little in each other. Mr Roh regards Mr Kim as a nuclear-armed dictator whose grip on his communist territory shows few signs of weakening. Devastating floods and food shortages – even a rumoured heart condition – do not, political analysts say, seem to have diminished Mr Kim’s capacity to call the shots. Looking south, Mr Kim sees a leader on his way out, who never won the respect of the North and who is exposed by his need for progress in the final months of his presidency.

If Mr Kim does emerge, it will be his first appearance before the international media since the 2000 summit. Everything about his appearance will be examined in detail – from the perkiness of his famous bouffant hairstyle to the speed of his speech.

Improved relations

— In his inaugural address in February 2003, President Roh said that he hoped to bring “peace and prosperity” to the two nations

— In the same year, bilateral talks included negotiations between senior generals. The broadcasting of propaganda across the demilitarised zone ceased

— Construction of a freight railway linking the two countries was completed in 2003

— Months after the summit in 2000, North Korea agreed to the construction of Kaesong Park, a manufacturing centre for South Korean companies in the North

Sources: Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress

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