Reunification May Take 20-30 Years for South KoreaSouth Korean President Kim Dae-jung said in an interview published on Monday that it could take the two Koreas 20 to 30 years to achieve reunification.Kim told the Financial Times that his ground-breaking summit in Pyongyang last month with North Korean leader Kim Jong-il nearly collapsed "four or five times" when the two sides disagreed about unification plans and whether Kim Jong-il should pay a return visit to the South. But he gave credit to the North Korean leader for saving the talks by displaying flexibility in reaching a compromise. "Full unification is very difficult to foresee at this point. It could take as long as 20 to 30 years," Kim said. "My point is that it is not important when it occurs, but rather how we work together towards that goal by eliminating the danger of war, living together peacefully and extending economic cooperation." Kim said the success of the summit was due in large measure to the North Korean leader's "ability to be receptive to new ideas and a willingness to change his views". The Financial Times quoted Kim as denying that any rapprochement between the two countries would weaken South Korea's security ties with the United States. Instead, it would provide an opportunity for North Korea to improve its relations with the United States and Japan. |
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