Walk For Peace: Kim Walks Through South Korea Border For Peace Summit
The first summit between North and South Korea was officially underway after North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un walked through the South Korean border. The summit marks the first official meeting between leaders of the two nations in more than 11 years.
The summit is being held at the Panmunjom village which is a demilitarized sector located between the two Koreas.
South Korean President Moon Jae-In waited for Kim while standing in front of the Freedom House which directly faces the Military Demarcation Line (MDL). Moon was looking out for Kim through the doors of the Panmungak building which is less than 300 feet away from the border.
Kim would become the first North Korean leader to walk through the MDL since the Korean War which lasted from 1950 to 1953. This year’s summit also marks the first time a meeting between the leaders of both nations would be held in South Korea.
The previous summits of 2000 and 2007 were held in Pyongyang which is the capital of North Korea.
Eventually, the two leaders met up at 9:30 am, Korea time. President Moon had two South Korean school children greet Kim and presented him with flowers.
300 soldier- honour guards were assigned to the two Korean leaders as they made their historic walk into the Freedom House for official welcoming ceremonies to begin.
The official talks are expected to begin at 10:30 am. Venue of the meeting will be at the Peace House conference room which is located on the South side of Panmunjom. Kim will reportedly return to North Korea during the scheduled lunchtime break.
The agenda of the summit includes the denuclearization of North Korea, arriving at a peace settlement in the Korean Peninsula and finding ways to improve relations between the two Koreas.
Other planned activities during the summit are the symbolic planting ceremony of a pine tree which represents long-lasting peace and prosperity between both nations. The two leaders also intend to take a stroll down the MDL.
An agreement is expected to be arrived at by both leaders before the welcome banquet scheduled at 6:30 pm.
A successful summit will pave the way for what is expected to be tougher negotiations between Kim and United States President Donald Trump sometime in May or June.
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