The Korean War (June 25, 1950 – July 27, 1953) had badly affected the ties between North Korea and South Korea. Till date, each country contends it is the sole legitimate government of all of Korea and they each refuse to recognise the other as legitimate. However, (it seems that) the scenario is changing slowly. After more than six decades, a North Korean leader crossed the border, entered South Korea and shook hands with the South Korean leader on April 27. People across North Korea and South Korea, and other parts of the world witnessed the historic moment on Friday, with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in indicating a change (in bilateral ties). They promised to take all the necessary steps in order to normalise bilateral ties and to ensure peace in the region.
Kim set to cross the border

In the presence of top North Korean officials, Kim crossed the military line at 9:30am (local time) and greeted his host, President Moon, saying: “It’s the first step to peace.” After shaking hands with Kim on the southern side, the South Korean president asked the North Korean leader: “You have crossed into the South, but when do I get to go across?” Kim promptly replied: “Why don’t we go across now?” Hand-in-hand they stepped into North Korea and then headed back into the South. President Moon’s unplanned step over the border took observers by surprise and made the summit a “landmark event”.

Kim took President Moon to the North

At the end of their meeting, the North Korean leader told the South Korean media that he had “come to the summit to end the history of conflict between the two countries”. They informed the press that Pyongyang and Seoul would begin talks with a view to signing a peace treaty to formally end the Korean War later this year. The two further pledged “to cease all hostile acts against each other in every domain, including land, sea and air…”

During their 30-minute meeting, it has been decided that President Moon will visit Pyongyang later this year. The two leaders also agreed to set up a ‘liaison office’ in the North Korean border town of Kaesong for arranging a reunion of families separated by the war. Later, Kim joked that he would no longer interrupt his counterpart’s sleep with early morning missile tests.

Kim signing a guest book in Panmunjom

The global community was eager to know about Kim’s views on various issues. Interestingly, the visiting leader made no comments on any issue, other than the ties between the two Koreas. He declared that Pyongyang would end nuclear weapons testing and that the North’s main test site at Punggye-ri under Mount Mantap had collapsed.

Kim Jong-un’s message in the visitor’s book in South Korea: New history from now on, (we are) at the starting point of a historic new peace era. Kim Jong-un – April 27, 2018.

American diplomats are of the opinion that although Kim is trying hard to change his image (ahead of his historic summit with President Donald Trump), the world still remembers his (nuclear) activities. Soon after the Kim-Moon meeting at the Peace House near the Demilitarised Zone, President Trump tweeted: “Good things are happening, but only time will tell!” According to political experts, the American president is still not happy with Kim’s stand on the issue of nuclear disarmament. Meanwhile, Russia and China congratulated the two Koreas for holding the ‘historic’ summit.

The US president has every right to express his views on the Kim-Moon meeting, but the North Korean leader’s clever and spontaneous gesture to President Moon (to reciprocate his step into the South by having him join him for an instance in stepping back into the North) makes it clear that Kim is fully prepared to resolve the Korean crisis. Handshakes, broad smiles and bear hugs have amplified the message that Koreas will not allow external powers – like China, Japan, Russia and the US – to decide the fate of the Koreans. The US and its Western allies – who have portrayed Kim as a “remote, rigid and autocratic” leader – might have noticed Kim’s statements at the summit. In South Korea, he revived the concept of ‘identity politics’, giving stress on “one nation, one language, one blood” and rejecting any future conflict between the Koreas. With this, he emerges as the ‘messenger of peace’. Now, President Trump will have to show his commitment to a peaceful settlement when he meets Kim in May or early June.

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Published by Koushik Das

Koushik Das (born on May 16, 1976 in Kolkata) is a career journalist. Based in the Indian capital of New Delhi, Koushik writes mainly about foreign policies and current geopolitical issues, and rarely about other topics. His own political ideas are highly influenced by Antonio Gramsci, Louis Althusser, Michel Foucault, Michael Oakeshott and others. English philosopher and political theorist Oakeshott (Dec 11, 1901-Dec 19, 1990) says that “in political activity, men sail a boundless and bottomless sea. There is neither harbour for shelter nor floor for anchorage, neither starting-place, nor appointed destination. But we have to keep afloat”. (Rationalism in Politics, 1962) As a student of Political Science, Koushik loves to share his views on issues, which have great impacts on his thought process (and also on India, South Asia and of course on the global community), with his readers through his website – Boundless Ocean of Politics. By doing so, he tries to keep himself afloat. You will find some of his articles in https://inserbia.info/today/ (https://inserbia.info/today/author/kou_das13_i/), as he has been trying to assess the global geopolitics since 2003. You can also mail him at kousdas@gmail.com View all posts by Koushik Das