ART

Portrait paintings of Korean and Chinese
leaders amidst growing ties of friendship

Portrait painting of Artist Kim Dong-Hyun shows President Park Geun-hye (right) shaking hands with President Xi Jinping of Ch-ina during her official state visit to China in the late June of 2013. Her summit meetings with President Xi brought Korea and Chin-a much closer together. (Portrait paintings courtesy of Artist Kim Dong-hyun)

The relations between the Republic of Korea (South) and the People's Republic of China are becoming closer and closer, especially following President Park Geun-hye's visit to China and her summit meetings with President Xi Jinping of China on June 27, 2013.

Obviously thanks to the effort of China, North Korea, too, has suddenly changed its attitude toward the South and as a result of this the two Koreas are now trying to mend their relations with good results, including the smooth negotiations on the resumption of operation of the Kaesong inter-Korean Industrial Park, reunion of the separated families of the two Koreas and discussions on the re-opening of the Kumgang-san inter-Korean tourism.

Following the passage of the late former President Mao Zedong (1893-1976), the immediate successor President Deng Xiaoping started a new policy removing the so-called ‘Bamboo Curtain’ and opening the country to the world.

President Mao Zedong (1893-1976), the founder of the Communist Party of China

President Deng's pragmatic policies were carried on by his successors, namely Presidents Jiang Zemin, Hu Jintao and Xi Jinping, and have resulted in boosting the economy of China sky-high pushing her to the status of one of the strongest economies of the world.

In particular, under the present leadership of President Xi Jinping, China appears to be headed for a more peace-oriented country playing the role of a peace-maker between countries in confrontation (including the two Koreas).

President Deng Xiaoping started a new policy removing the ‘Bamboo Curtain’ and ushering in an era of open China with enormous economic development and growth and improvement of the living standard of the people.

China has even gone a step further and reports indicate that the United States invited China to join the US military exercise and that China has accepted the offer.

Last spring, North Korea threatened to deal a nuclear blow to the United States and turn Seoul into a fiery inferno, closing down the Kaesong Inter-Korean Industrial Park and threatening to strike the South at any time of their choice.

President Jiang Zemin of China (left) and President Hu Jintao.

South Korea warned to North Korea that it would strike back with a ten times stronger firepower and the US actually flew a B52 heavy bomber and deployed its nuclear-powered flat top in a strategic location to deal with the possible North Korean attack.

The two Koreas were less than an inch away from the flareup of a full-scale military conflict.
Then there was an exchange of visits of ranking officials between China and North Korea and after these visits North Korea stopped its blackmailing against the South and has changed its attitude toward the South and the US.

▲President Kim Il-sung of North Korea (right) embracing Rev. Moon Sun-Myung, president of the Unification of (South) Korea.

It was obvious that China’s advice to North Korea against military intimidations worked and led the North to making an about-turn from making military threats to seeking peaceful solution with the South and the US. k

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