At long last, the much-awaited meeting between Kim Jong-un and Moon Jae-in is taking place in the demilitarized zone. Radio NZ reports that Kim is accompanied by his sister Kim Yo-jong, who led the North's delegation to the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea. Kim and Moon shook hands on both sides of the border and were met by a guard of honor in traditional costume on the South Korean side. The talks will be held in the Peace House in Panmunjom.
All eyes will be focused on this historic event between North Korea and South Korea which is expected to herald in peace in the korean peninsula.
This meeting will set the stage for the summit between US President Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un for which the date and venue are yet to be finalized. The agenda for that summit will be denuclearization of the North.
The tentative program
CNN adds that the meeting will begin in the morning and after the lunch break, the two leaders will plant a pine tree using a composite soil from different mountains of South Korea and North Korea to express their good intentions. A banquet is also on the cards with a menu consisting of cuisine from both the sides.
The main item on the agenda will be the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, along with improving bilateral relations. Kim Jong-un had set the tone by reactivating the hotline in January.
Moon Jae-in reciprocated by inviting his neighbor to participate in the 2018 Winter Olympics. He has been hoping to reunify the two Koreas. If that really happens, it will be a major achievement.
Signs are positive
Kim Jong-un has indicated his willingness to suspend programs related to nuclear weapons. His continued missile launches and claims of having the ability to reach the US mainland with nuclear-tipped missiles had led to global tensions.
That resulted in the imposition of sanctions on his regime that would have affected the economy. China is the main ally of North Korea and trade with it has collapsed due to sanctions. Apparently, Kim has to sacrifice something to survive.
This could be a reason for the leader of North Korea to have had second thoughts on his nuclear ambitions.
He appears to be in a mood to come out of isolation and join the mainstream. South Korea is an ally of the United States, and the inter-Korean summit is expected to set the pace for the more important summit between Kim and Donald Trump. The main objective is to bring peace to the Korean peninsula.
