By Rebecca Taylor, news reporter

Donald Trump has become the first serving US president to cross the border into North Korea.

Mr Trump shook hands with Kim Jong Un at the border line on the Korean peninsula's demilitarised zone (DMZ), a swift turnaround in Twitter diplomacy after floating the idea on social media on Saturday.

The American leader was invited to cross the line by Mr Kim, and stepped over, spending a brief time in North Korea before bringing Mr Kim back with him into South Korea.

During the meeting, the pair agreed to revive talks on the North's nuclear weapons programme.

Image: It's the first time a sitting US president has gone into North Korea

The demarcation line marks the divide between the two nations, and has been in place since 1953. The Korean War has never officially ended.

Advertisement

As he announced the resumptions of talks, Mr Trump told reporters "we're not looking for speed. We're looking to get it right".

He added that economic sanctions on the North would remain.

More from Donald Trump

Also, significant doubts remain about the future of the negotiations and Pyongyang's willingness to give up its stockpile of nuclear weapons.

The historic handshake and photo opportunity is the third time Mr Trump and Mr Kim have met, and was the first meeting since a failed second summit in Hanoi, Vietnam in February.

It will give both leaders some political points at home following those collapsed talks, but there are as yet no indications that there would be another breakthrough in talks between the US and the secretive North Korea.

As Mr Trump approached Mr Kim, the North Korean leader said: "I never expected to meet you at this place."

Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un stand at the military demarcation line dividing North and South Korea
Image: Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un stand at the military demarcation line dividing North and South Korea

Mr Trump also extended an invitation to Mr Kim to visit the White House.

The US president told reporters it was a "great honour" to cross the border and said he was "proud" to have done it.

Marine One flew the president and his team to the DMZ from Seoul in South Korea, where he had held meetings with President Moon Jae-in, after attending the G20 summit.

Mr Trump was show various landmarks from the top of Observation Post Oullette.

North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un stands with US President Donald Trump south of the Military Demarcation Line that divides North and South Korea, in the Joint Security Area (JSA) of Panmunjom in the Demilitarized zone (DMZ) on June 30, 2019. (Photo by Brendan Smialowski / AFP) (Photo credit should read BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images)
Image: The US president brought the North Korean leader back into South Korea

During the visit, Mr Trump said the area used to be "very dangerous" but much less so now since the first Trump-Kim summit in Singapore in June 2018.

He said: "I say that for the press. They have no appreciation for what is being done, none.

"There was great conflict here prior to our meeting in Singapore.

"After our first summit, all of the danger went away.

"It's all working out, it always works out."

North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un walks with US President Donald Trump north of the Military Demarcation Line that divides North and South Korea, in the Joint Security Area (JSA) of Panmunjom in the Demilitarized zone (DMZ) on June 30, 2019. (Photo by Brendan Smialowski / AFP) (Photo credit should read BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images)
Image: Mr Trump said he had been prepared to be asked into North Korea

He met with troops stRead More – Source

[contf] [contfnew]

Sky News

[contfnewc] [contfnewc]

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR