A year ago would have been unthinkable. Yet, between North Korea and South Korea "there will be no more war". This was announced in a joint statement by North Korean President Kim Jong-un and the leader of Seoul Moon Jae-in, who today met in the village of Panmunjom, in what will go down in history as the historic summit of peace between two Koreas. "There will be no more war on the Korean Peninsula" the two leaders said, underlining that "a new era of peace has begun".
"We are the same people, with the same blood, that must live united," Kim added in a press conference, speaking of "a new page". "The whole world is watching us - he underlined - we will not repeat the mistakes of the past". For its part, South Korean President Moon Jae-in reiterated that "there will be no more war on the Korean peninsula, a new era of peace has begun".
With today's meeting, Kim Jong-un became the first North Korean leader to set foot in South Korea, crossing the demilitarized zone that separates the peninsula from the end of the Korean War in 1953. At 9:30 am Korean time, in a moment full of symbolism and pomp, the South Korean president Moon Jae-in and Kim shake hands at the border, and then head for the Peace House, in the village of Panmunjom, to start formal talks on the denuclearization and peace of the Korean peninsula .
Hand in hand with Kim, even the leader of Seoul sets foot beyond the line of the 38th parallel, 'reciprocating' for a second the visit. The smiling couple was then welcomed by an honor guard wearing traditional Korean costumes and playing Korean music before entering the Peace House. The first session of talks lasted about two hours and the two leaders will have lunch separately. Kim has returned to the North aboard a black limousine and will cross the border again in the afternoon to resume discussions. At the end of the day the North Korean leader will participate in the dinner offered by Moon, which will also participate in the respective wives, Ri Sol-ju and Kim Jung-sook.
The two leaders then planted together a tree - a 1953 pine tree - along the Korean military demarcation line established following the cease-fire at the end of the Korean War in 1953. The land and water used for the operation came from the areas north and south of the demarcation line. During the ceremony, Kim was helped by his sister Kim Yo-jong to wear white gloves and then - together with President Moon - he threw earth on the base of the plant. "This is a place full of meaning - underlined Kim during the ceremony - and in fact it is a new spring that has come to the north and south". "I hope - he added - to make the most of today's opportunities and I hope that together with this pine our relationships will flourish".