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In a hotel in Terelji, 85 kms (2 hours' drive) east of Ulanbator, on the second day of our visit to Monglolia,
[* This Mongolian lady who is on her way home from the Nadam festival with her family seems to pose with smile for my telephoto lens. However, she somehow reminds me of Chingis Khan`s wife returning from her abduction by enemy.]
I was taking a rest in the hotel lobby after lunch, when I saw a seemingly strong man coming down the stairway from upstairs ahead of 5 to 6 strangers, who reminded me of my conversations with my tourist companions.
No sooner did we see a Benz suspending North Korea`s flag in parking zone of the hotel, I told them that a North Korean ambassador must have come here.
The two sides are still in war status, confronting against each other across the military demarcation line and dividing the Korean Peninsula into two: the Republic of Korea (South Korea) and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea).
As soon as I saw the man and his entourages, I thought it was a chance to share some talks with him.
I got ambitious to speak to him, for I may be audacius by my reputation among my friends that I am an outstanding and brave man like Don Qhixote.
I suddenly stood in his way to the exit, and said abruptly, ``Good afternoon, Sir. Nice to meet you here. I'm from Seoul, Korea,..'' holding out for handshakes.
At first he seemed to be surprised at my word ``Seoul.''
But he recovered soon, but he went ahead with his walk neither shaking hands with me nor saying any further words.
``I have also an appointment with our (South Korean) ambassador, which is scheduled for tomorrow. And I am very glad to happen to see you today before meeting him '' I insisted, stepping along with him.
``Oh, really?'' he said shortly.
``I heard you are acquanted with him, arn't you?'' I said.
``Oh, yes,'' he said, but he continued to walk out of the hotel.
Running after him out, I continued my words and suggested him to take a picture with us to commemorate this meeting, when he stopped for a moment because of the falling rain outside, and said, ``Maybe next time.''
During this conversation with the North ambassador, I gestured with my eyes and hands toward my friend holding a camera near to me to take some snap shots, but he failed to do so.
I thought he was too scared to take some pictures.
Instead of taking pictures, he suddenly turned toward a lady with flat bosom in her mid-30's in 1960's style Korean traditional dress, typical to the Northern women, and abruptly said to her, directing his finger to a badge with a portrait,``Maybe this man is Kim Il-sung, isn't he?''
It was I rather than she who was much embarassed at his abrupt behavior.
His addressing the great leader of the North Korea just as ``Kim Il-sung'' worried me much.
They respected him so much that they call him ``our great leader and father.''
I feared just calling him by name might bring a big trouble.
Thinking I should prevent any trouble before too late, I interrupted him, saying, ``Why don't you address him the great leader or H.E. late Kim Il-sung?''
Fortunately, she said, ``Yes, it's him.''
Those few words relieved me from my nervousness, and I thought diplomats and their families are somewhat different from others.
Seemingly turning away from the topic, the Ambassador introduced a sturdy Korean-Mongolian accompanying him into us, and we shook hands with him.
And the Ambassador asked us on what flight we came in.
We answered that we had come aboard the Korean Airline.
He asked us again how many people we were, so I answered we came in a group pf 120 tourists, adding that aother group of the same number was scheduled to arrive this weekend.
They seemed to be surprised at the total number, but they said nothing.
Exulted to find a chance at last, I said to the Ambassador, ``The time of ideology is gone, isn't it? I think we'd better try to live a better life abve all.''
``Without any further words, they went out into the drizzle, seemingly avoiding any more talks with the South.
All of us who were out along the North people kept our pitiful eyes on their backs disappearing.
I dared not tell him about the South's rice aid to the North Korea, but I thought I had played an important diplomatic role in inter-Korean relations as a South Korean tourist. For Koreans, the reunification of the Korean Peninsula is the top political agendum.
I felt proud of myself when my tourist members applauded me for my bravery and audacity.
After a while, I met two acquaintances belonging to the other tourist group of 24 Koreanm members (12 couples in marriage), who had come here a week before us.
They just came back from the Gobi Desert tour.
It was found out soon that two persons were Y-High classmates with South Korean ambassador to Mongolia Kim Jung-soon. (Y-High is one of the four most prestigious high schools in Seoul.)
No sooner had it been known that I was familiar with two of the 12 men (the other 12 are their wives) of the tourist group than they began to introduce themselves to me competitively, saying, ``What on earth is that guy who knows so many people?.''
Eventually, I shook hands with each of them.
Furthermore, I told them that I was going to meet the South Korean ambassador the next day after today's encountering the North Korean ambassador.
Surprised at this news, they began to whisper each other, saying, ``What a celebrity he is! He has acqaintance with both North and South Korean ambassadors to Mongolia!''
Hearing of the news, a senior of my university living in my
[* The Mongolian Great Grassland has become very popular among Western motorcyclists.]
neighborhood suddenly asked me to introduce him into the North ambassador soon, emphasizing the fact that he is from Whanghae Province which is now under the North's rule. (The senior was elected head of Songnam-Bundang chapter of the alumni assiciation of my university a few month later.)
I remembered that I had seen the ambassador and his party entering a gel far away from us, when I got out as soon as it stopped raining.
The `gel' was and is still a portable dwelling for a people following their herds and seeking new pastures.
A gel is usually 10-15 square meters wide, and inside it lie a couple of beds and a few pieces of simple furniture around an iron-steel stove in center which uses dried horse droppings for fuel.
At hotel was a maiden taking care of fire in the stove to keep inside of the gel warm.
He or she frequented the gel even during the night when guests were asleep.
Anyway, I directed my senior to the gel where the ambassador stayed, but he insisted me to take him to the ambassador and to introduce him directly.
I hesitated for a while, because I worried I should be responsible if we got abducted by the North.
For this reason, I suggested him to bring more people along with us.
Shortly several audacious men agreed to join us to visit the ambassador.
At last a party of seven knocked the ambassador's gel door, and I introduced my senior into the ambassador who was sitting flanked by his party.
I told him and his people that this gentleman was my college senior and he is a high school classmate of South Korean Ambassador Kim Jung-soon.
My senior and the Ambassador exchanged their greetings and said to each other, ``Where are you from?''
And almost at once they said, `` I wish earlier reunification.''
That became our farewell.
Suddenly, a feeling of uneasiness drove all of us out of the gel.
My senior who was the last to come out of the gel seemed to have lost his early bold face.
Instead, he appeared to be shrunken much.
He followed us without a word but with his head dropped.