Kim Jong-un has become the first North Korean leader to step into the South for 65 years as he met with President Moon Jae-in for a historic peace summit on Friday.
The dictator crossed the 38th parallel and warmly shook hands with his sworn enemy before both men walked side-by-side to a welcome ceremony attended by flamboyantly-dressed South Korean soldiers. Moving on to the truce village of Panmunjom, Kim signed the guest book at the Peace House, which will be the venue for talks focusing on whether the North can be persuaded to give up its nuclear bombs.
North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un (L) steps with South Korea’s President Moon Jae-in (R) across the Military Demarcation Line that divides their countries ahead of their meeting at the official summit Peace House building at Panmunjom on April 27, 2018.
‘New history starts from now, at the historic starting point of an era of peace,’ he wrote. Kim said that his heart ‘keeps throbbing’ during his visit that comes ahead of a summit with President Trump and amid renewed hopes he will give up nuclear arms.
But there are also suspicions that Kim’s nuclear program has been terminated by damage caused by a recent earthquake. In televised talks shortly afterwards, Kim said he was ready for ‘heartfelt, sincere and honest’ discussions with Moon, although he did not mention denuclearization.
