Trump meets Kim, crosses into N.Korea

By Ali Murat Alhas and Riyaz ul Khaliq

ANKARA (AA) - U.S. President Donald Trump met his North Korean counterpart Kim Jong-Un in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), South Korea-based Yonhap news agency reported on Sunday.

Yonhap said two leaders met at Panmunjom, the inter-Korean village bordering South and North Korea.
In a brief press interaction, Trump said he was honored to meet Kim at DMZ.

The North Korean leader said that he also wanted to meet U.S. president at DMZ "to leave behind unfortunate past and move into future".

South Korean President Moon Jae-in was also present on the occasion.

Trump and Kim are currently holding a meeting at "Freedom House" at DMZ.

Journalists reporting from the spot said that it was unprecedented that no plan whatsoever was in place for the high-profile visit unlike past.

Trump earlier announced on Twitter that he would like to "say hello" to Kim at the DMZ.

North Korea, for its part, termed Trump's offer "interesting suggestion", adding it did not receive a formal proposal for the meeting.

Trump is first sitting U.S. President to cross into North Korea.

Earlier, four U.S. Presidents have visited the DMZ -- a no-man's land -- which divided North and South Koreas since 1950s war. DMZ -- the divided line between Koreas -- is about 250 kilometers long and 4 km wide. It is one of the world's most heavily fortified borders since 1950s.

The rival Koreas are technically in a state of war since then as the Korean War ended in a truce, not a peace treaty.

The two leaders first met in a historical summit held on June 12, 2018 in Singapore, where they discussed the nuclear disarmament of North Korea and having a lasting peace between countries.

The second meeting took place in Hanoi city of Vietnam late February; however, it quickly ended without bearing any fruits. Later, Trump said talks were not concluded as North Korean leader demanded all sanctions are lifted and the U.S. was not willing to do so.