Smiles, signatures at the summit

President Kim Dae-jung and Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi agreed Friday to cross-participate at the World Cup opening May 31 in Seoul and the finals and closing ceremony June 30 at Yokohama, Japan. They said they would work to make the soccer tournament the best World Cup ever.

The agreement was reached at an 85-minute meeting at the Blue House, during which Mr. Koizumi told Mr. Kim that Japan is considering sending Prince and Princess Takamado, Emperor Akihito's cousin, to Seoul's opening ceremony.

Mr. Kim and Mr. Koizumi also signed a bilateral investment treaty and agreed to launch a joint research group comprising industrialists, government officials and academics from both countries to pursue a Free Trade Agreement.

Coming out of the meeting, Mr. Kim praised Mr. Koizumi for his "successful and forceful implementation of reforms." At a joint press conference, Mr. Koizumi praised Mr. Kim's life as a democracy activist-turned-president.

"There is a Japanese proverb that facts are more dramatic than fiction. President Kim's life has been dramatic and will remain in history," he said.

Lauding Mr. Koizumi's commitment to implementing the seven-point agreement the two leaders reached at Shanghai's Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit last October, Mr. Kim said, "We will have to step up measures to open our market to Japanese popular culture."

Mr. Koizumi promised that Japan would start importing South Korean pork around April. The two also set an April target for the first meeting of the joint history research council.

On North Korea, they agreed on the importance of continued dialogue with North Korea, based on close consultation among South Korea, Japan and the United States.

The two leaders visited the Sangam World Cup Stadium, where they signed a large mock soccer ball and exchanged uniform shirts lettered with the number 10 and their names.

There were no angry burnings in effigy or outlandish fingertip-cutting protests, as occurred during Mr. Koizumi's October visit. Subtle differences were palpable on a few issues, however. Although Mr. Koizumi said that Japan would resolve humanitarian issues such as abduction of Japanese nationals through dialogue with North Korea, he suggested that it would not continue food aid to North Korea unless the "pending issues" are addressed.

The move toward a Free Trade Agreement was not given a time frame. The proposal to permanently grant visa-free travel between the two nations will be possible after "necessary conditions" are met, a Japanese government source said. One of the conditions is lessening the number of illegal Koreans in Japan.

Mr. Koizumi returns to Japan on Saturday, after visiting Gyeongju.

by Chun Young-gi