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| North Korea expert Kim Dal-sul played the role of the late former North Korea leader Kim Jong-il during a rehearsal at Cheong Wa Dae for the first-ever inter-Korean summit in June 2000. |
Kim Dal-sul, a former official with the Ministry of Unification and the Korean Central Intelligence Agency (KCIA), the predecessor of the National Intelligence Service, died April 7. He was 90.
One of the nation's key experts on North Korea, he served through several administrations, starting in 1971 under then-President Park Chung-hee through to former President Kim Dae-jung. He was involved in arranging more than 100 inter-Korean talks.
He played a crucial role in the preparations for the 2000 inter-Korean summit between then-President Kim Dae-jung and the late North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, the father of the incumbent Kim Jong-un.
Former President Kim rehearsed for the first inter-Korean summit with Kim Dal-sul who acted as a stand-in for Kim Jong-il during the mock talks held on June 6, 2000 at Cheong Wa Dae ahead of the real talks on June 13.
As a recognized author of many theses on the history of inter-Korean talks, Kim was able to play the role based on his lifelong research into the leadership of the North Korean regime.
"I start the day by reading the Rodong Simun. I follow North Korean media and think and behave as a North Korean. After leading this kind of lifestyle for more than 30 years, I sometimes feel like I am Kim Jong-il," he said in a 2007 media interview.
During the rehearsal, former Unification Minister Jeong Se-hyun played the role of Kim Yong-sun, who was North Korea's director of South Korean intelligence at the time. Jeong said later that the mock talks were very helpful in preparing for the summit.
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| This 2000 file photo shows South Korean President Kim Dae-jung, right, and North Korean leader Kim Jong-il sharing friendly greetings after Kim's arrival at the Pyongyang Sunan International Airport, June 13, 2000, for the historic inter-Korean summit. Korea Times file |
After graduating from Seoul National University, Kim first joined the KCIA in 1961 and led the preparations for the first inter-Korean Red Cross talks in 1971. Later he joined the Ministry of Unification and further served in a number of key posts.
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