Kim Jong Un, Moon Jae-in shake hands ahead of historic summit
Seoul, Apr 27 (IBNS): Ahead of the landmark summit, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South's President Moon Jae-in shook hands over the Military Demarcation Line on Friday .
The line divides the neighbouring two nations.
According to local media reports, Moon was the first to arrive at the border in the Joint Security Area of Panmunjom inside the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) and then Kim reached the venue as both leaders smiled and waved and shook hands, creating a new chapter in the history of the two countries.
"Then, probably to the surprise of many, Kim invited Moon to cross the inter-Korean border to the North Korean side.The South Korean leader accepted the invitation with a broad smile, briefly crossing the border with Kim before they both returned to the South Korean side," reported Yonhap News agency of South Korea.
Moon reportedly told Kim that he was feeling 'happy' to meet him.
Writing a new chapter in the history of the two nations, Kim has become the first North Korean leader to step on South Korean soil since the end of the 1950-53 Korean War.
South Korea is hosting the inter-Korean summit.
Yonhap News Agency reported: "Kim signed the visitors' log at the Peace House, the venue for the third inter-Korean summit on the South Korean side of the heavily fortified DMZ."
Official talks between the two leaders is set begin later in the day, reports said.
The meeting between the two neighbours occurred just days ahead of Kim's scheduled interaction with US President Donald Trump.
White House spokesperson Sarah Sanders on Wednesday said the US feels that North Korea is moving 'in the right direction' on the Korean Peninsula denuclearization issue.
"We think that the maximum pressure campaign is working," Sanders said during a press conference on Wednesday.
Sanders said the US will not let up on the maximum pressure campaign against North Korea.
"But again, we’re not going to let up on that campaign until we see some of the words that they’ve made go into concrete action. But they’re moving in the right direction," she said.
Meanwhile, in a major development, North Korea has announced that it will suspend nuclear and missile tests in the country, media reports said.
The country has also decided to shut down a nuclear test site, reports said.
The announcement was made by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
"From April 21, North Korea will stop nuclear tests and launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles," the Korean Central News Agency said as quoted by South Korea's Yonhap News Agency.
"The North will shut down a nuclear test site in the country's northern side to prove the vow to suspend nuclear test," it added.
Image: CNN TV grab
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