The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and the Republic of Korea embraced on Friday after pledging to work for the “complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula”, on a day of smiles and handshakes at the first inter-Korean summit in more than a decade.
The two Koreas announced they would work with the United States and China this year to declare an official end to the 1950s Korean War and seek an agreement on “permanent” and “solid” peace.
The declaration included promises to pursue phased arms reduction, cease hostile acts, transform their fortified border into a peace zone and seek multilateral talks with other countries including the United States.
“The two leaders declare before our people of 80 million and the entire world there will be no more war on the Korean peninsula and a new age of peace has begun,” the two sides.
ROK President Moon Jae-in agreed to visit the DPRK capital of Pyongyang later this year, they said.
Kim Jong Un became the first DPRK leader since the 1950-53 Korean War to set foot in the ROK after shaking hands with his counterpart over a concrete curb marking the border in the heavily fortified demilitarised zone.
China, the DPRK’s main ally, welcomed the leaders’ statement and said it was willing to keep playing a proactive role in promoting political solutions.
Russia said it was ready to facilitate cooperation between the two, including in the fields of railway transport and energy.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe also welcomed the summit and said he expected the DPRK to take concrete steps to carry out its promises.
Global markets were lifted by hopes the summit would pave the way for the end of conflict on the Korean peninsula. Shares in Seoul briefly rose more than 1 percent to a one-month high and Japan’s Nikkei share average also gained.
Friday’s developments come a few weeks before U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to participate in what would be the first ever meeting between sitting leaders of the United States and the DPRK.
