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| After sharing their ride to the state guesthouse in Pyongyang on Tuesday, President Moon Jae-in, right, and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un leave the car to respond to the welcoming North Koreans. Yonhap |
By Oh Young-jin
President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un left in separate vehicles after the welcoming ceremony at the North's Sunan International Airport in Pyongyang on Tuesday morning.
But when Moon arrived in the state guesthouse one hour later, he was in the same vehicle as Kim.
According to North Korea watchers, the trip from the airport to the guesthouse takes about 30 minutes, but their trip took twice as long.
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| Pyongyang citizens wave to President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday. Yonhap |
What took them so long and what did they do during their trip?
If it had happened about 20 years ago during the first inter-Korean summit in 2000 between Kim Jong-il, the leader's father, and the late President Kim Dae-jung, it would attract a great deal of curiosity from the U.S. and China.
As a matter of fact, it was said after the 2000 summit that the U.S. under President George W. Bush prioritized gaining access to the conversation between the two leaders because it was the first summit and the U.S. obviously did not know what the two estranged brother countries could be up to when left to their own devices.
At that time, the circumstances played a role because the late Kim suggested to Kim spontaneously that they ride in the same car. It was more plausible because Kim was alone when receiving the South Korean leader.
This time, the son was accompanied by his wife Ri Sol-ju, while Moon was with his wife Kim Jong-sook.
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| North Koreans in colorful outfits welcome President Moon Jae-in. Yonhap |
On Tuesday, there was a more immediate, clearer explanation.
Obviously in a calculated move, Kim and Moon moved into an open car to greet thousands of people welcoming Moon along the way. Footage shows the two leaving the car and interacting with the crowd.
But what secret chat did they have that the U.S. and China want to know about?
The U.S. will have to wait until the end of the summit because Cheong Wa Dae officially said there would be no consultation with the U.S during the summit. As for China . . ., who knows?
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