Korean summit provides unusual look at Kim Jong Un

GOYANG, SOUTH KOREA » A day after the two Korean leaders met for a summit along their shared border, the emotional, memorable, even funny scenes from their time together are both a bitter reminder of the Koreas’ seven decades of division and an insight into the mysterious character of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Here are some of the scenes that South Koreans are talking about amid the afterglow of one of the most unusual moments in recent inter-Korean history:

KIM CROSSING THE BORDER

Kim became the first North Korean leader to set foot onto South Korean land since the 195053 Korean War when he stepped into the southern side of the border village of Panmunjom to meet with South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Friday.

The image that lingers is of Kim stepping across the ankle-high concrete slab that forms the military demarcation line at Panmunjom, and shaking hands with Moon, both leaders broadly smiling. Kim then took Moon’s hand and led him back across the borderline into the North where they posed for a ceremonial photo together before returning to the South.

It was the first time for Moon to be in the North’s territory, though his parents were refugees from North Korea during the war.

KIM SHORT OF BREATH

After their meeting at the borderline, Kim and Moon moved to a small plaza to inspect an honor guard before they walked together for a couple of minutes to the Peace House, the venue for the summit. Despite the relative short bout of exercise, live TV footage showed that an obese Kim was panting heavily through his mouth, his shoulders heaving a bit, as he signed a guestbook.

South Korean media quickly speculated that Kim, 34, is about 170 centimeters (5 feet 8 inches) tall and weighs 130 kilograms (nearly 290 pounds), and likely suffers from diabetes, high blood pressure and hyperlipidemia.

In 2014, Kim disappeared from the public eye for about five weeks, triggering a frenzy of speculation about his health. When he resumed his public activities, he walked with a cane. Kim’s father and grandfather both died of heart ailments. KIM’S SECURITY When Kim returned to the northern side of Panmunjom in a black Mercedes limousine for lunch after a morning meeting with Moon, a dozen bodyguards, all wearing black suits and blue ties, surrounded the vehicle and jogged beside it as it made its way to the North.

The men — all tall, their hair cropped short — are likely from the North’s secret service.

Later Friday, as Kim returned to the South, the car moved at a faster speed and the men kept pace, running fast as they enveloped the leader. When Kim rolled back to the North after a farewell ceremony Friday night, the bodyguards reappeared and ran alongside his car again.