By Zhang Wen

The hearse containing the body of Kim Dae-jung passes by the memorial altar for Kim yesterday during the state funeral ceremony at the National Assembly in Seoul. Photo: AFP

The funeral yesterday for former SouthKorean president Kim Dae-jung, whose “Sunshine Policy” opened a new era of cooperation across the Korean peninsula, was marked by the first high-level inter-Korean talks in nearly two years, the Korea Herald reported.

About 24,000 people had been invited to the funeral, which took place at South Korea's parliament building.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, who shared hugs with Kim Dae-jung at their 2000 summit in Pyongyang, sent a delegation of senior officials to the South for the ceremony, on behalf of the North.

Kim's envoy met with South Korean President Lee Myung-bak at Cheong Wa Dae for 30 minutes.

“The North Korean delegation delivered Chairman Kim's verbal message regarding the progress of inter-Korean relations,” the South's presidential spokesman, Lee Dong-kwan, told reporters.

No details of the message were disclosed.

“In response, President Lee explained the consistent and firm principles of the government's North Korea policy and asked his message to be relayed to Chairman Kim,” the spokesman said. “I'm leaving with good feelings,” Kim Ki-nam, a close aide to Kim Jong-il, told reporters as he left for the airport after the talks.

The six-member North Korean delegation flew home just before the state funeral. North Korea's KCNA news agency announced the return of the delegation without comment.

Tensions with Seoul and the international community rose further after Pyongyang's nuclear and missile tests this year, which were followed by tougher United Nations sanctions and repeated threats by the North.

Many analysts say North Korea is employing “funeral diplomacy” to ease tension on the peninsula. “North Korea's move raises hopes of an end to the high tensions that have sparked fears of military clashes,” said Jin Canrong, an expert on South Korean issues at Renmin University.

Kim Jong-il has made a number of conciliatory gestures this month, including calls to restore business ties with the South. That includes reopening tourism to Kumgang Mountain and the operation of the joint industrial park in Kaesong.

“North Korea's economy, already broken by years of mismanagement and global sanctions, has taken further hits this year, ” Lü Chao, a researcher on North Korean issues from the Liaoning Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times. “By improving ties with South Korea, the North may boost its domestic economy as well as bring back some aid from the South.”

However, neither North Korea's nuclear programs, nor pending inter-Korean issues such as its detention of South Korean fishermen, were discussed at the meeting, according to a South Korean presidential official.

“Despite many friendly signals sent by both sides, whether the inter-Korean relationship will finally improve does not only depend on the two Koreas, but also the US. Until now, it's still not clear how the US policy toward North Korea will develop,” Jin said.

Just a day before the funeral, according to Yonhap News, the top South Korean and US envoys to the stalled multinational talks on North Korean denuclearization said their governments would maintain pressure on North Korea despite a looming thaw on the Korean Peninsula.

Agencies contributed to this story