Kim Jong-il always knows what to wear to summits
SEOUL (Reuters) - The summit between the two Koreas ended on Thursday with the isolated North scoring a win in international communications over its richer neighbor and no one wondering about the attire of its secretive leader.
ISOLATED NORTH KOREA 1, INTERNATIONAL SOUTH KOREA 0
North Korea's official news agency not only turns out charming insults of its foes such as "you imperialist lackey", it was also much faster at translating into English the joint statement it reached at the summit between its leader Kim Jong-il and South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun.
The North's official KCNA agency was about two hours ahead of legion's of South Korean aides armed with the latest computers in translating the text and transmitting it to the world.
WHAT'S THAT NOISE?
But on the visual front, the North did not bother competing.
South Korean media brought the latest digital video cameras to record images of the summit and then transmit them back home by satellite broadcast trucks it took to the North.
North Korea worked at a much slower pace. In the background of every meeting at the meeting was the spinning roulette wheel-sound of the North's vintage film cameras recording images that will likely be used in propaganda films celebrating its "Dear Leader" Kim.
SHARP DRESSED MEN
Roh put on his best suits for the summit and stood tall with ties in bold shades of blue, gold and silver.
Kim wore the same muddy shade of grey, or grayish shade of mud, zip-up jacket and stretch pants he wore for the 2000 summit.
The jumpsuits, though drab in color are closely watched by analysts because when Kim's trademark paunch presses snugly against the coat, it is a sign of vigor and when garments hang loosely, rumors swirl that he is ill.
INTERNATIONAL MAN OF MYSTERY
Kim has kept governments and analysts guessing for years what he is doing in one of the world's most militarized states. During the summit, he left South Koreans wondering where he would be.
A dour Kim greeted Roh when he arrived on Tuesday, although he was not scheduled to be there. He snubbed a dinner held in Roh's honor that night, even though he attended a similar event at the 2000 summit.
Kim said he was ready to meet Roh 30 minutes ahead of schedule for their first formal discussions and asked to extend the summit an extra day. He skipped a chance to sit next to Roh later that night at a communist propaganda mass games spectacle.
The only thing predictable about Kim -- his clothes.
