Since the historic north-south summit last June, inter-Korea relations have been progressing at a breathtaking pace inconceivable a year ago. Athletes from the two Koreas marched into the Sidney Olympics under a special unification flag, and cabinet ministers, including defence chiefs met to discuss joint projects such as a railway across the border. The South Korean president has been awarded the Nobel peace prize.
The June summit opened the door for the visit to Pyongyang of the US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright which itself followed Vice-Marshal Jo Myongrok’s welcome at the White House. There’s been serious talk of a US presidential visit to North Korea and the normalisation of relationships between Japan and the North is only a matter of time.
