On Friday, the two Koreas marked a bittersweet anniversary: It has been one year since the historic summit between the leaders of the two countries. Koreans rejoiced as South Korean President Kim Dae Jung and North Korea leader Kim Jong Il toasted each other in Pyongyang and promised to end a half century of animosity and division. The high hopes were dashed, however as North Korea tried to eke out every possible advantage at the negotiating table and squandered the opportunity at hand. Efforts will be renewed in an atmosphere of skepticism and hard-nosed realism.
Hopes soared when the reclusive Kim Jong Il greeted his South Korean counterpart at the airport in Pyongyang. During their meetings, the North Korean leader revealed himself to be worldly, ironic and media savvy. The world saw a man with whom it could do business. His words of reconciliation and the promises to reunify families added to dreams of peace and eventual reunification on the Korean Peninsula.
The North-South dialogue has bogged down, however. The fault lies chiefly in Pyongyang. North Korea has refused to reciprocate South Korea's boldness and courage; in fact, it has not shown much of a desire to talk to Seoul at all. It has accepted money and aid, but concrete gestures -- political contacts, substantive military-to-military discussions, even economic projects like the agreed-upon railroad to link the two countries -- have not materialized. Most importantly, Kim Il Jong has not reciprocated his South Korean counterpart's visit.