Skip to main contentSkip to navigationSkip to key eventsSkip to navigation

Korea summit: Trump hails 'end of the Korean war' - as it happened

This article is more than 5 years old

Kim Jong-un and the South Korean president, Moon Jae-in, have come face to face at the inter-Korean meeting in the demilitarised zone. Follow all the developments and reaction with our live blog

Rehearsals and realism ahead of historic summit
Analysis: all you need to know about the summit
Kim and Moon: profiles of the key players

 Updated 
Fri 27 Apr 2018 07.57 EDTFirst published on Thu 26 Apr 2018 19.44 EDT
Key moments from historic Korean summit – video report

Live feed

Key events

As the two Korean leaders wrap up the summit here’s a closing summary.

Share
Updated at 

North Korea watchers are urging caution pointing to the lack of specifics and a timetable in the declaration.

Two initial issues are most apparent. First, a peace treaty will likely need to be signed by China and the US as well as North and South Korea. Expect a four-party mechanism to be established to negotiate a peace treaty, with the US & ROK ensuring that the Alliance is unaffected.

— Abraham M. Denmark (@AbeDenmark) April 27, 2018

One very important aspect of the commitment to a peace treaty is pledge to try and agree it before end of this year: which is 65th anniversary of armistice agreement ending Korean War.

But this relies on "active" trilateral or four-way talks, which will need to achieve a lot... pic.twitter.com/YYIsQXsPvg

— Chad O'Carroll (@chadocl) April 27, 2018

This agreement greatly raises expectations for the Kim-Trump Summti. An agreement between NK and the US will need to include a detailed roadmap for a way forward, including each side’s concessions.

— Abraham M. Denmark (@AbeDenmark) April 27, 2018

Another important point:

By agreeing to "fully (implement) all existing agreements and declarations," it ultimately means:

– Allowing inspections of nuke sites (1992)
– Promoting economic cooperation (2000)
– Resumption of tourism projects in NK; i.e flights to Paektusan (2007)

— Chad O'Carroll (@chadocl) April 27, 2018

Today's #KoreaSummit was rich with symbolism on both sides. From the size of the table to the menu for dinner to the water used to nourish the commemorative pine tree after lunch, no stone was left unturned in the hunt for meaning. @CrisisGroup

— Christopher Green (@Dest_Pyongyang) April 27, 2018

The Declaration is long on generalities and short on concrete steps. We've heard a lot of it before. But there are some significant elements: 3- and 4-party talks to end the Korean War and create a "peace system" for the peninsula; and Moon's plan to visit Pyongyang in autumn.

— Christopher Green (@Dest_Pyongyang) April 27, 2018

Russia’s Foreign Ministry says it is ready to facilitate cooperation between North and South Korea, including in the fields of railway transportation, gas and electrical energy, Reuters reports.

JUST IN: Russia's Foreign Ministry says ready to facilitate practical cooperation between North and South Korea in railways, gas and electrical energy pic.twitter.com/PYoTUPKvyA

— Reuters Top News (@Reuters) April 27, 2018

Trump: 'US should be proud'

More from Trump. In his latest tweet he hails the declaration to end the Korean in characteristic all-caps mode.

KOREAN WAR TO END! The United States, and all of its GREAT people, should be very proud of what is now taking place in Korea!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 27, 2018

South Korea’s foreign minister Kang Kyung-wha told CNN that “clearly credit goes to President Trump” for bringing North Korea to the negotiating table. “He’s been determined to come to grips with this from day one,” she said.

South Korea credits Trump for talks with North @CNNI https://t.co/xh1clNvsDv pic.twitter.com/cEn6yxGP5s

— Christiane Amanpour (@camanpour) April 26, 2018
Lily Kuo
Lily Kuo

Cheng Xiaohe, an associate professor at the School of International Studies at Renmin University in Beijing who focuses on North Korea issues said the main accomplishment of the summit was improving ties between North and South Korea.

“The main characters are DPRK and South Korea,” he said. “Today’s summit was a giant step to improving the relation between DPRK and South Korea.”


Cheng said that China made an effort not to distract from the meeting today. Chinese president Xi Jinping met Indian prime minister Narendra Modi, but Chinese media were restrained in reporting much about that meeting.

But there are still big challenges. Cheng said Kim still needs to show real willingness to dismantle the country’s nuclear programme and specify under what conditions that can happen. “Today’s summit is a step towards denuclearisation, but it’s hard to call it a giant step,” he said.

China welcomes 'positive outcome'

China, North Korea’s key international ally, has also welcomed the summit.

“Today, the leaders of South and North Korea held their summit successfully,” China’s foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said.

The South Korean news Yonhap, quoted him saying:

“(They) announced a joint declaration on their common understanding of inter-Korean relations, easing military tension on the Korean Peninsula, denuclearizing the peninsula and a permanent peace.”

“The positive outcome of the summit is helpful for inter-Korean reconciliation and cooperation, peace and stability on the peninsula and the political resolution of Korean Peninsula issues.”

Some European reaction from the other Donald.

What I heard today from Korea and what I have experienced here in the Balkans in the last days should be a positive memento to all: That the impossible can become possible, and that it depends entirely on the good will and courage of individual people.

— Donald Tusk (@eucopresident) April 27, 2018

And this from Belgium’s prime minister Charles Michel:

After 65 years our world can become a safer place, bringing peace and stability to the Korean peninsula.

We support North and South Korea's wish to sign a peace treaty formally ending the Korean War. #KoreaSummit #Peace

— Charles Michel (@CharlesMichel) April 27, 2018

Trump: 'good things are happening'

Donald Trump has hailed the summit as a “historic meeting” after a “furious year of missile launches and nuclear testing.”

In his first reaction to the meeting Trump tweeted: “Good things are happening, but only time will tell!”.

After a furious year of missile launches and Nuclear testing, a historic meeting between North and South Korea is now taking place. Good things are happening, but only time will tell!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 27, 2018

Japan welcomes summit

Shinzo Abe Photograph: Issei Kato/AFP/Getty Images

Japan’s prime minister Shinzo Abe has welcomed the summit, but urged Pyongyang to take “concrete action” on the peninsula’s denuclearisation and other issues.

“Today President Moon Jae-in and Chairman Kim Jong Un held earnest discussions about North Korea’s denuclearisation. I want to welcome that as a positive move toward comprehensive resolution of various issues concerning North Korea,” Abe told reporters in Tokyo, according to AFP.

“We strongly hope that North Korea will take concrete action through this meeting and a summit between the US and North Korea,” he added.

Kremlin praises summit

The Kremlin has praised the Korean summit as “very positive news”, saying direct dialogue on the divided peninsula was promising.

“This is very positive news,” President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

The Russian news agency Tass quoted him saying: “In this case we positively regard the meeting itself between the two Koreas’ leaders and the declared outcome of the negotiations.”

Kremlin comments on meeting between North, South Korean leaders https://t.co/WZep8OzjtC pic.twitter.com/1hYoAV7lBJ

— TASS (@tassagency_en) April 27, 2018
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and first lady Ri Sol Ju, South Korean President Moon Jae-in and first lady Kim Jung-sook pose for photos during the inter-Korean summit at the truce village of Panmunjom Photograph: Reuters Tv/Reuters

Korean TV has been showing footage of the leaders’ wives arriving for the summit.

The first ladies (Kim's wife in pink and Moon's wife in blue) have arrived at the summit venue to join their husbands for dinner. #InterKoreanSummit pic.twitter.com/DQxvHQS2Qy

— Hawon Jung (@allyjung) April 27, 2018

Full text of 'no more war' joint declaration

Matthew Weaver
Matthew Weaver

Here’s an English translation of three-page joint declaration agreed by Kim and Moon.

Allow Scribd content?

This article includes content provided by Scribd. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. To view this content, click 'Allow and continue'.

Here are key passages

The two leaders solemnly declared before the 80 million Korean people and the whole world that there will be no more war on the Korean Peninsula and thus a new era of peace has begun.

South and North Korea confirmed the common goal of realising, through complete denuclearisation, a nuclear-free Korean peninsula. South and North Korea shared the view that the measures being initiated by North Korea are very meaningful and crucial for the denuclearisation of he Korean peninsula and agreed to carry our their respective roles and responsibilities in this regard. South and North Korea agreed to actively seek the support and cooperation of the international community for the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula.

Share
Updated at 

After a riveting and surprisingly jovial 10 hours, I am handing over the liveblog to my colleagues in London for the final moments of the summit.

A summary of today’s events:

  • In a historic moment, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in met for the first time, shaking hands at the demarcation line between North and South.
  • At Kim’s beckoning, President Moon briefly stepped over into the North side, a highly symbolic moment.
  • Before going into their meeting in Peace House, on the South Korean side of the border, Kim signed a message in the guest book proclaiming a “new era of peace”
  • During the closed-door morning meeting, the pair discussed denuclearisation and rebuilding relations. Both Kim and Moon expressed a desire for future meet-ups, and Moon hailed it as a “very good discussion”.
  • Moon said that the “weight on our shoulders is heavy” but said the conference would be a “gift to the world”.
  • After breaking for lunch, Moon and Kim were involved in the ceremonial planting of a tree dating from 1953, the year the Korean war ended.
  • After a discussion in the gardens of Peace House, and another closed-door meeting, Kim and Moon signed a joint statement, the Panmunjom Declaration.
  • They pledged to denuclearise the Korean Peninsula, bring an end to the Korean War and help unite families divided between North and South.
  • Moon will visit Pyongyang, North Korea, in the Autumn
  • The leaders and their wives have now headed to a three hour finale banquet

While the exact details of how denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula will be carried out, the pledge will be important in getting Trump to agree to another summit next month.

Trump said yesterday he would only meet Kim if he thought their meeting would be “fruitful”- which would mean North Korea agreeing to give up their nuclear programme entirely.

Kim and Moon’s address outside Peace House also saw the leaders pledge to jointly push for talks with the United States, and potentially China in order to officially end the 1950-53 Korean War, which stopped in an armistice and left the Koreas still technically at war.

Share
Updated at 

More on this story

More on this story

  • Kim Jong-un meets Xi Jinping for third time

  • North Korea summit: US president says 'we will be fine' as meeting nears

  • Meet the negotiators for the North Korea summit

  • History of US-North Korea deals shows hard part is making them stick

  • Kim Jong-un and Trump 'to discuss permanent peace-keeping' at Singapore summit

  • Kim Jong-undercover: North Korean security bars onlookers from snapping leader

  • North Korea summit explainer: the people, problems and possibilities

  • 'Two dictators': Fox News host says sorry for reference to Trump-Kim summit

  • Trump believes the North Korea summit is all about him. But Kim has a plan, too

Most viewed

Most viewed