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North Korean leader Kim Jong-un made history on Friday as he crossed into South Korea to hold talks with President Moon Jae-in.
It is the first time a North Korean leader has set foot in its southern neighbour since the end of the Korean War.
The two are holding talks in the demilitarised zone as part of the first inter-Korea summit in more than a decade. The meeting is expected to centre on the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula and a permanent peace deal between the two countries.
Here are all the latest updates:
Rallies in Paju
- Anti-North Korea protests have been taking place in Paju, South Korea, with demonstrators demanding Moon cancels the summit.
- There’s also been a rally in support of the summit with a large crowd watching the meeting unfold and waving flags with a map of a unified Korean peninsula on it.
| South Koreans shout slogans during a rally opposing the summit in Paju, South Korea [Lee Jin-man/The Associated Press] |
‘Peace and prosperity’ tree
- Kim’s limousine, once again flanked by jogging bodyguards in suits, returned to a site close to the military demarcation line at 4:30pm (7:30 GMT).
- He met Moon for a ceremony in which both leaders scooped soil from both from Mount Halla in South Korea and Mount Baekdu in the North on a commemorative pine tree.
- The pair unveiled a stone marker which reads “Planting peace and prosperity” as well as the leaders’ names and official titles.
- Moon and Kim are slated to have a second session in which they will try and iron out a final declaration, to be announced later today ahead of their joint banquet.
- Reporting from Paju, South Korea, Al Jazeera’s James Bays said “Particularly those in Washington DC want to see that there’s real progress and a real willingness from the North Korean side to engage on all issues and of course the most important one for the US … is a North Korean willingness to give up their nuclear weapons and their long-range missiles.”
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| Kim and Moon scooped soil from both sides of the border on a “peace and prosperity” pine tree [Korea Summit Press Pool via The Associated Press] |
‘Serious, frank’ talks
- Moon and Kim had “serious, frank” discussions on denuclearising the Korean Peninsula and attaining permanent peace, a South Korean official told a briefing.
- The official, Yoon Young-chan, said the leaders are writing a joint statement which will be anounced when it is finished.
- He added Kim’s wife Ri Sol-ju would join the leaders for dinner.
- Seoul said Kim told Moon: “We won’t interrupt your sleep any more,” referring to missile tests.
First meeting ends
- Moon and Kim concluded their first meeting at 12:00pm (3:00 GMT), with Kim returning to the North in a black limousine surrounded by jogging bodyguards to have lunch.
- The leaders will return to the negotiating table in the afternoon after planting a memorial tree at the demarcation line. The tree will be planted with soil from both the North and the South, and watered with water from the North’s Taedong River and the South’s Han River.
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| Bodyguards jog alongside Kim Jong-un’s limousine as he returns north for lunch [Korea Summit Press Pool via The Associated Press] |
Talks start in the Peace House
- Moon and Kim started their first round of talks at 10:20am (1:20 GMT) in the Peace House. In a guest book entry, Kim wrote “A new history begins now”.
- In his opening remarks, Kim said he hoped for talks that are “honest, frank and with intent”. “I hope that there is new history written with regards to peaceful prosperity and I will approach this with the feeling of a brand new start,” the North Korean leader said.
- Moon noted there is “immense expectation” for the meeting. “Let’s approach this discussion boldly and wishing for peace. I would like to give something very big to the people watching us. We have all day to talk and let’s do so and make up for the 10 years that we have let pass,” he said.
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| Sitting to the left of Kim Jong-un is his sister Kim Yo-jong, who visited South Korea during the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics in February [Korea Summit Press Pool via Anadolu] |
- In the first summit between the two countries since 2007, Kim crossed the military demarcation line at 9:30am (0:30 GMT) on Friday for a meeting in Panmunjom’s Peace House.
- Moon briefly stepped into the North as well, in an unscripted moment and at the invitation of Kim.
- It is only the third time leaders of the two Koreas have met since an armistice agreement ended the Korean War in 1953, and the first time a summit has taken place in the South.
- The truce is still in force and Kim and Moon were expected to discuss a more permanent peace treaty on Friday.
- In their first encounter, the leaders seemed relaxed and were smiling. But, said Al Jazeera’s James Bays, an historic handshake does not necessarily lead to peace: “We have not seen anything actually change in terms of any of the policies, in terms of the agreement … It doesn’t necessarily mean we have a breakthrough.”
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| South Korean President Moon Jae-in shakes hands with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un as they meet at the military demarcation line separating the two countries [Korea Summit Press Pool via Reuters] |
SOURCE: Al Jazeera and news agencies
