This entry continues my summary of select chapters from the important Imperishable History series novel Eternal Life (previous entries here and here). This novel was published in 1997 and co-authored by Paek Po Hŭm (who later contributed the short story "Green Land" to the first anthology of stories about Kim Jong Un) and Song Sang Wŏn. It covers the events of the last seven months of KIS' life, including his 1994 summit meeting with former US President Jimmy Carter.
Jimmy Carter and Kim Il Sung in 1994
In Chapter 18, the Carter delegation is treated to a surprise boat ride on the Taedonggang River through the city. President Carter and KIS continue their negotiations and reach an astounding level of agreement.
Chapter Summary
The world waits with bated breath for news of the summit. After the first summit meeting, CNN had broken the news that KIS had agreed to hold off on expelling the inspectors in exchange for the promise of a light water reactor, and now everyone is waiting for the US response.
The press remained silent, seemingly giving the Americans time to think. Meanwhile, a ferocious debate was playing out across board tables and conference calls as the pro-dialogue moderates, led by Clinton, debated the hardliners, led by Senate Republican leader and future presidential candidate Bob Dole. The debate between the two sides generally boiled down to three main points: 1) Whether it would be better to spend $80 billion and just go to war with NK, or spend a tiny fraction of that to provide a LWR; 2) If they did provide the LWR, how to contain the backlash from their ally “South Korea” at being completely excluded; 3) How to deal with the loss of face from to acceding to Pyongyang’s pledge, which implied concessions from the US.The debate raged on into the early morning hours.
Just past 5am, Jimmy Carter gets Washington’s response: they're willing to withdraw the UN sanctions resolution and hold a third round of talks to discuss the LWR. But in return, Korea must make important “concessions.”
That morning, Carter's delegation headed out prepared to play hardball, but they were surprised when the driver took them to the river instead of the conference hall. They found KIS waiting on the dock alongside his luxury river cruiser, the Moranbong. “Mr. Carter, why don’t we take a pleasure cruise to the West Sea. Along the way, we can say what we need to say.”
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| Taedong River view with Juche Tower and May 1 stadium |
So they all take a leisurely cruise through the city; KIS plays tour guide, pointing out famous sights like the Okryugwan restaurant, KIS' childhood home on Mangyongdae hill, and Pyongyang's Arc de Triomphe. A scrum of foreign reporters follows on a separate boat. At one point KIS suggests, “Before we get down to the main discussion, why don’t we give your media something to shoot?” Carter agrees, and they let the other boat pull alongside to take photos.
Then, observing people fishing on the riverbank, KIS asked Mun to slow the boat down. At Carter’s puzzled look, he said:
“Mr. Carter, do you like to fish?”“I do.”“Then it seems we have a common interest.” Glancing at the fishers on the riverbank, He continued, “As a fellow fisherman I’m sure you understand, there is nothing more annoying than a passing motorboat kicking up a wake. It wouldn’t do for us to earn their ire while holding our very productive summit.”Carter looked at the fishermen again with new eyes, amazed that the president could spare a thought for them despite being at the center of the world’s attention on this historic day… Thinking back on his own time as president, his face reddened in shame, thinking “I was a ruler and an administrator. As president I governed over people, but this president supports his people.”
Finally, after a pointed look from Dr. Creekmore, Carter quits stalling and gets down to business. With great fanfare, he reveals that the administration is willing to open a third round of talks with North Korea on providing a light-water reactor. They also discuss possible paths to reunification and moving troops away from the NLL, before the subject turns to the UN sanctions resolution.
[Carter] “I want to pass on the rest of the message from the administration. Premier, the US has decided to withdraw its sanctions resolution against your country at the UN.”Carter watched closely for the leader’s response.But Premier Kim Il Sung just regarded him silently.“This withdrawal,” Carter went on, thinking He had misunderstood, “was communicated to me directly from the White House. They asked me to inform you personally.”Premier Kim Il Sung just looked bored, gazing absently out the window. Finally He spoke. “I thank you for passing on this important news. But it’s just a nice change.”“What!?”“The truth is we’re not afraid of sanctions. We’ve survived under sanctions all this time; we’ve never been without them. We’ve faced sanctions from you, and from Japan, and others. We’ve been under sanctions so long that we don’t really think about them any more.”Carter was speechless as Premier Kim Il Sung went on. “In other words, whether you cancel the sanctions or not, we’re fine either way. This confrontation is your fault, not ours. You wouldn’t trust us, so we can’t trust you. You’re always trying to make us poor, but that doesn’t mean we are poor. No matter how much you try to pressure us, we’ll get on just fine. Please pass that along to President Clinton and your colleagues.”
Following this exchange, the subject turns to North-South relations. Carter delivers a message from ROK President Kim Young-sam, expressing willingness to hold an immediate North-South leadership summit to discuss matters of concern, including unification.
KIS swiftly responds in the affirmative. Again Carter is perplexed; he had expected heavy resistance. “Premier, I’m sure you feel a lot of anger toward the South Koreans; are you really willing to meet with them?” KIS replies their nationalist mission must supercede any ill feelings. Carter is overjoyed, but he feels a twinge of misgiving at the thought of a great statesman like KIS facing off against Kim Young-sam, who he considers "a mere political hack" [한갖 정상배에 지나지 않는].
The river cruise concludes on a high note with a banquet featuring hot Kŭmchŏngju liquor. KIS delivers a heartfelt speech on Koreans' universal desire for unification and invites Carter to tour the newly discovered tomb of Tangun "on your next visit."
“Our policy is to pursue unification as one people, one country, two systems and two governments. In other words, the separate governments of North and South will remain in place, with a common chairperson placed over them. That way we will stop fighting, and there will be no more unfortunate problems between us and the US. How about it? Will you lend your support to peace on the peninsula? Think how that would raise your profile as a master negotiator.”“Great.” Carter felt pleased... “Premier, can I ask you something? ... Right now, the thing that worries South Koreans the most is that your side is insisting on unification without foreign interference, but they worry that if the US military withdraws you will attack them.”“As I’m sure you know, we have proposed a troop draw-down to 100,000 on both sides of the peninsula, along with US withdrawal. But the South Koreans don’t talk with you of our intentions.”“Really?” Carter looked thoughtful.“See here. It’s because you’ve been dealing only with them that these misunderstandings occur. But so far I haven’t complained about this unfair treatment. After all, it’s not Chinese or Japanese you are dealing with, but Koreans of the same blood as us."Thinking back, since his arrival, Carter hadn’t heard anyone say one bad word about the South... But what of the other side? Any time South Koreans so much as met an American they went crazy slandering the North. Carter had listened to them of course, but their calumny was so extreme that it was just embarrassing. It was frankly disappointing to see how far they had fallen from the spirit of national solidary compared to the Northerners.
