For 3rd Time Since Korean War, a Historic Summit

Koreas set April 27 as the date for rare meeting
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Mar 29, 2018 2:45 AM CDT
Rival Korean Leaders Will Meet for Historic Summit
North Korea's Tongilgak building, the site for the high-level talks between two Koreas, is seen at the northern side of Panmunjom in North Korea on Thursday.   (Korea Pool via AP)

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will meet South Korean President Moon Jae-in at a border village on April 27, the South announced Thursday after the nations agreed on a rare summit that could prove significant in global efforts to resolve a decades-long standoff over the North's nuclear program. The announcement was made after officials met at the border village of Panmunjom, the AP reports. The Koreas plan to hold another preparatory meeting on April 4 to discuss protocol, security, and media coverage issues, according to a joint statement released by the countries. The leaders of the two Koreas have held talks only twice since the 1950-53 Korean War, in 2000 and 2007, under previous liberal governments in Seoul.

Seoul Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon, one of the three South Korean participants in Thursday's talks, told reporters beforehand that setting up discussions between the leaders on ways to rid the North of its nuclear weapons would be a critical point. After the meeting, Cho said there was a "sufficient exchange of opinions" on the agendas of the summit, but he didn't provide a clear answer on whether the discussions included the nuclear issue. Ri Son Gwon, leader of the North Korean delegation, said that the past 80 days have been filled with "unprecedented historic events" between the rivals, referring to the Koreas resuming dialogue before the Winter Olympics in the South and the agreement on the summit. (Kim Jong Un completed his first trip abroad as leader this week.)

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