S.Korean leader said to invite Kim to Seoul summit

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ANKARA (AA) – In a step towards further reconciliation, South Korea has invited the North Korean leader for an unprecedented summit in Seoul, local media said on Wednesday.

Citing an unnamed "high-ranking" official, the Asia Times reported that the South Korean presidency invited Kim Jong-un for a summit with President Moon Jae-in on March 1 – a key date in Korean history.

The reports of the summit emerge as senior officials from North Korea and the U.S. are reportedly set for a meeting this week to discuss details of a second summit between their leaders.

It would be the first time since the 1950s Korean War that any leader from North Korea has ever visited the South.

In 2018 Kim and Moon met three times, and Kim met with U.S. President Donald Trump in Singapore.

On March 1, 1919, a century ago, Korea rose against colonial rule by Japan, but it only realized independence in 1945.

Interestingly, South Korea dropped a reference to North Korea as its “enemy” in a white paper on defense released on Tuesday.