"If reports by our United Front Department are accurate, President Roh likes to speak frankly. I don't think I'll have any difficulty talking with him. Our Republic didn't want the inter-Korean summit in the first place, so the South Korean delegation will talk first. I've already heard them talk about supplying us with aid -- we just have to suggest what we want. By the way, the reactionaries are trying to pick a quarrel with us. But they'll end up pitted against each other -- all I need to do is say, "As we are compatriots, let us share and cooperate with broad minds."

"I just thought of the American troops in South Korea. True, we're always calling for their withdrawal in our propaganda, but I really doubt that will happen. Really all I need to do to make the South Korean delegation happy is not demand that the American troops pull out. That worked back in 2000. Back then, the South Koreans asked me not to oppose the presence of the American troops in order to maintain something like peace in Northeast Asia, which I agreed to. They are still making use of that episode.

"Nuclear weapons? Nobody will find fault with them any longer, considering that dear father Kim Il-sung called for the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. I can say anything the South Koreans want to hear. There is nothing more powerful in our Republic than the late leader Kim Il-sung's teachings. I'll stress the need to leave the nuclear weapons issue in the care of the ongoing six-party talks. Then South Korean government officials will crow via their propaganda apparatus, 'We've reaffirmed Pyongyang's intentions of dismantling its nuclear weapons.' Then I'll have nothing to worry about... But we mark the first anniversary of our nuclear test on Oct. 9. That's the source of my headache. We'll have to see how the U.S. imperialists act at the six-party talks on this issue. But maybe we should show off our nuclear power again. I kind of feel the need to stage another demonstration, because now the U.S. imperialists are claiming that we traded nuclear materials with Syria.

"As for the issue of the Northern Limit Line in the West Sea, I'm going to generously suggest readjusting it after receiving a report from the Navy. What we want is to let our fishermen catch blue crabs in those waters. If that's not possible, we'll ask for compensation. The South Koreans will probably concede, since they have already proposed a joint fishery zone.

"It seems the South Koreans are divided over the Arirang mass games. We'll put on a gala performance of the show while they're in town. Of course we'll have to cut those scenes that show us striking down the South Korean puppets. I think we should make sure that the South Korean delegation is truly impressed by the artistic quality of the performances. I remember one South Korean lawmaker comparing the Arirang performances to a Giuseppe Verdi opera. We can't let him down, right? The Arirang performances will serve as an opportunity to publicize the cultural excellence of our Republic at home and abroad.

"I think the ruling South Koreans are out of their minds at the moment. It seems they have no presidential hopeful who can match Grand National Party candidate Lee Myung-bak. They'll probably try to exploit the summit to further their campaign efforts. I understand they want to focus on peace as a campaign issue. I've already given my encouragement to the participants of a preparation meeting for the summit, because they were discussing a peace declaration. And as far as a peace declaration is concerned, I can issue as many as we need. Actually we can do a lot with simple lip service.

"You're probably sleeping now, comrade Kim Yang-gon, director of the United Front Department. Don't you agree with what I'm thinking? When you first discussed another summit with the South Korean spymaster, I said I didn't like the idea. But as time passed, I found you were right. I think the only thing we have to do is keep in step with the South Koreans as you suggested. If anything goes wrong, then we can just talk to the next administration. So really, our Republic has nothing to lose -- ain't I right?"

The column was contributed by Choi Byung-muk from the Chosun Ilbo‘s National/Politics Desk.