[2018 Inter-Korean summit] South Koreans emotional after witnessing historic Moon-Kim meeting

Han Na-eun, a 30-year-old professional in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, normally spends her morning attending meetings, or preparing her next project at work.　On Friday, however, things were different. All of her coworkers stopped what they were doing, eyes fixed on TV for the historic moment President Moon Jae-in shook hands with his North Korean counterpart, Kim Jong-un.　The two leaders met at the heavily fortified demilitarized zone in the first summit for the two Koreas in over a decade.　“I have

April 27, 2018

[2018 Inter-Korean summit] Kim Jong-un in spotlight: humorous and confident

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un looked confident and relaxed enough to make jokes as he emerged from a veil of secrecy Friday at Panmunjeom for a historic inter-Korean summit, part of his charm offensive to present himself as a leader of a normal country.  　In a black Mao-style suit, the reclusive state‘s leader came out of Panmungak, the liaison office building on the North Korean side of the truce village of Panmunjeom, along with his key aides and security guards.　Kim walked toward the Milita

April 27, 2018

[2018 Inter-Korean summit] Kim Jong-un’s handwriting reflects feisty personality: experts

Kim Jong-un’s handwriting hints at confident, feisty personality, experts say. As the first-ever North Korean leader to set foot in South Korea, every word and gesture by Kim has drawn media attention. After sharing friendly conversations with South Korean President Moon Jae-in walking to the meeting venue, Kim left a handwritten message in the guestbook inside Panmunjeom where their summit is taking place. (Cheong Wa Dae)“A new history begins now. At the starting point of history and the era of

April 27, 2018

[2018 Inter-Korean summit] Top military, diplomatic brass from South, North at inter-Korean summit

South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un were accompanied by the most powerful officials from their countries at the inter-Korean summit held Friday at the truce village of Panmunjeom. Attention was on the four officials who joined Moon and Kim for the morning session of the inter-Korean summit on the second floor of the Peace House -- Kim Yo-jong, Kim’s younger sister, and Kim Yong-chol, vice chairman of the ruling Workers’ Party of Koreas, from the North, and Im J

April 27, 2018

[2018 Inter-Korean summit] Koreas hint at possibility of high-speed railway connecting South and North

The leaders of South and North Korea hinted at the possibility of building a railway across the Korean Peninsula, as they discussed how the two nations could be better connected via the South’s high-speed train system during the inter-Korean summit on Friday. North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un made a historic crossing to the South to hold talks with South Korea’s President Moon Jae-in at the truce village of Panmunjeom. During the talks, North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un praised the quality of Sout

April 27, 2018

[2018 Inter-Korean summit] Will DMZ return to original state?

Following the historic inter-Korean summit on Friday, expectations are high that the two Koreas’ militaries will speed up their efforts to return the heavily fortified demilitarized zone to its original state. 　President Moon Jae-in and North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un agreed to “demilitarize” the DMZ by suspending propaganda broadcasts on loudspeakers and the sending of propaganda leaflets toward each other’s territories.　Under the armistice agreement, the two Koreas are prohibited from militar

April 27, 2018

Historic Moon-Kim summit expected to ease geopolitical risks in region

The historic first meeting between South Korea's President Moon Jae-in and his North Korean counterpart Kim Jong-un on Friday is expected to ease geopolitical risks and stimulate new economic momentum that will benefit Asia's fourth-largest economy going forward.The country expanded 3.1 percent in 2017 on the back of recovering global trade and rising demand, up slightly from 2.9 percent growth in the previous year.But intensifying military tensions surrounding the Korean Peninsula weighed on th

April 27, 2018

[2018 Inter-Korean summit] Conversation between Moon Jae-in and Kim Jong-un

Shaking hands at the Military Demarcation Line“(You) are coming to the South, when will I be able to visit the North?” Moon asked. “Let’s step over now,” Kim Jong-un said, leading Moon across the Military Demarcation Line. Walking to the Peace House escorted by South Korea’s traditional ceremonial guard “Foreigners like out traditional ceremonial guard. It is a shame that today’s ceremonial guard has been simplified. A much better scene could be displayed (if Kim Jong-un) came to Cheong Wa Dae,”

April 27, 2018

Leaders to jointly announce summit outcome following final agreement: official

GOYANG, Gyeonggi Province -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will jointly announce the outcome of their summit Friday when and if their working-level officials reach a final deal, an official from Moon's presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said.The leaders met at the Joint Security Area of Panmunjom early Friday. The talks lasted nearly 100 minutes after starting at 10:15 a.m."At the summit, the two leaders held serious and honest discussions on ways to denuc

April 27, 2018

Kim offers to visit Seoul 'any time if you invite me': South Korea

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un told the South's President Moon Jae-in on Friday he was willing to visit him in Seoul "any time if you invite me", Moon's spokesman said.Kim made the remarks as the pair chatted ahead of their summit in the Demilitarized Zone that divides the Koreas, the official said.According to the official, Moon told the visitor he could "show you scenes far better than this if you come to the Blue House", with Kim responding: "Really? I will go to the Blue House any time if y

April 27, 2018

Summitry and symbolism: Seoul plays up imagery at talks

Daisies for peace, an oval table exactly 2,018 millimetres wide and a huge picture of a mountain representing inter-Korean reconciliation: the room hosting historic talks between the leaders of North and South Korea dripped with symbolism.As camera shutters clicked furiously, Kim Jong Un and Moon Jae-in, flanked by their trusted advisers, took their seats at the oval walnut table that was supposed to enable "frank talks without any feeling of distance", according to host officials. South Korean

April 27, 2018

At summit with South, Kim accompanied by sister, generals

An influential young sister. North Korea's 90-year-old nominal head of state. A man believed to be behind attacks that killed 50 South Koreans in 2010. And the top foreign policy and military affairs strategists. A list of high-profile North Korean officials accompanying leader Kim Jong Un to a border village to meet with South Korean President Moon Jae-in shows how serious Kim is about the Koreas' third-ever summit and what will likely be discussed. A brief look at the makeup of Kim's entourage

April 27, 2018

North Korean leader steps up charm offensive, crafts image as peace driver

PANMUNJOM/GOYANG, Gyeonggi Province -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Friday blurred the line of the peninsula's decades-long division by inviting his South Korean counterpart to cross the border together hand in hand, in a symbolic move to position him as a key driver of reconciliation and peace.The impromptu gesture before their landmark summit quickly narrowed the yawning psychological gulf between the two Koreas, which have been separated only by the 50-centimeter-wide Military Demarcati

April 27, 2018

N. Korea's Kim says 'flooded with emotion' as enters South

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was "flooded with emotion" as he walked into the neighbouring South, he told his host Moon Jae-in as they began the first inter-Korean summit for more than a decade.Walking across the cement blocks that mark the border was "so easy," Kim said, making him wonder "why it took so long to do so after 11 years," referring to the last summit in Pyongyang in 2007.Kim is the first North Korean leader to set foot on the South's territory since the 1950-53 Korean War ended

April 27, 2018

[Newsmaker] Unexpected moments at inter-Korean summit

As South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un headed to the Peace House inside the truce village of Panmunjeom for their historic summit on Friday, the whole world watched three unexpected scenes play out. The unscripted moments were: President Moon stepping over the Military Demarcation Line into North Korea, North Korean military officials saluting Moon and the two leaders and their delegations taking a group photo with the North’s Panmungak in the background. Moon

April 27, 2018

Different manners of greetings stress stark reality of unfinished war between Koreas

GOYANG, Gyeonggi Province -- As President Moon Jae-in and his entourage welcomed their North Korean counterparts for a historic summit on the South Korean side of the border on Friday, the North's top military officials saluted Moon while their South Korean peers only exchanged a nod or a handshake with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.The omission of formal salutes toward the leader of North Korea is a stark reminder that the North technically remains the primary enemy of South Korea since the t

April 27, 2018

[Breaking] Leaders of Koreas break for lunch

The morning session of the inter-Korean summit ended at 11:55 a.m. The summit meeting will continue in the afternoon.For the lunch break, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his aides returned to the North. After the break, President Moon Jae-in and Kim will take part in a tree planting ceremony, designed to symbolize unity, Cheong Wa Dae said. (Yonhap) The two leaders will plant a pine tree that germinated in 1953, the year the Korean War was halted in an armistice. The tree will be planted usi

April 27, 2018

[2018 Inter-Korean summit] Who’s that woman accompanying North Korea’s Kim Jong-un?

North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un crossed the border to the South on Friday for the first historic inter-Korean summit in 11 years on Friday. Accompanying Kim at the truce village of Panmunjeom was a nine-member entourage, only one of whom is a woman.For those wondering, she is not the first lady. She is Kim Yo-jong, the North Korean leader’s sister and the first vice department director of the North's Central Committee of the Worker’s Party of Korea.  (Cheong Wa Dae)(Cheong Wa Dae) (Cheong Wa Da

April 27, 2018

Laughter all around at inter-Korean summit

As South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un held a light conversation ahead of the inter-Korean summit, the Peace House -- the summit venue -- erupted into laughter. The two leaders exchanged remarks in the meeting room on the second floor of Peace House inside the truce village of Panmunjeom on Friday, starting at 10:15 a.m., before the historic summit began. (Cheong Wa Dae)“In the morning…. I heard that they talked about the dinner menu. We did manage to bring nae

April 27, 2018

[Photo News] Kim Jong-un's message at Panmunjeom guestbook

"A new history begins now. At the starting point of history and the era of peace." (Cheong Wa Dae)(Cheong Wa Dae)(KTV)By Yeo Jun-suk (jasonyeo@heraldcorp.com)

April 27, 2018