South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un shake hands at the borderline in the truce village of Panmunjom. [Yonhap Photo]
SEOUL -- South and North Korean leaders set a milestone in inter-Korean relations on Friday, shaking hands across the borderline in the truce village of Panmunjom, a symbol of division and cold-war confrontation for more than six decades.
The handshake between South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un came after Kim turned up on the northern side of Panmunjom and walked slowly towards a raised, foot-wide concrete curb that serves as the borderline in the joint security area.
With a smile on his face, Moon held out his hand to shake hands with Kim. After they stood together briefly on the side of the border, Kim made a sudden move to invite Moon to his side. Holding hands, the two leaders briefly crossed the border together to the northern side.
The historic meeting took place in a four-meter-wide pathway between two blue buildings which have been used for military talks between North Korea and the United Nations Command (UNC) since the 1950-53 Korean War ended in an armistice with no peace treaty signed.
When the two leaders walked down together to inspect a South Korean military honor guard, Kim, clad in a black Mao-style suit, made another impromptu suggestion for a group photo with Moon and all their accompanying delegates.
reporter
Lim Chang-won
cwlim34@ajunews.com
