Kim Jong Un entered South Korea to meet with South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Friday morning local time, marking the first time a North Korean leader has crossed the border since the Korean War ended in 1953.
The two leaders will address North Korea’s growing nuclear program, ahead of a planned meeting between Kim and President Trump.
“On the occasion of Republic of Korea President Moon Jae-in’s historic meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, we wish the Korean people well,” the White House said in a statement Thursday evening. “We are hopeful that talks will achieve progress toward a future of peace and prosperity for the entire Korean Peninsula. The United States appreciates the close coordination with our ally, the Republic of Korea, and looks forward to continuing robust discussions in preparation for the planned meeting between President Donald J. Trump and Kim Jong Un in the coming weeks.”
At the anticipated meeting between Trump and Kim, the two are expected to discuss denuclearization. Trump said last week his administration has begun communicating with North Korean officials “at very high levels.”
Also last week, North Korea announced it would suspend nuclear and missile tests, after which Trump touted “great progress” on Twitter. He also noted that sanctions would remain intact “until an agreement is reached.”
Previously, the Trump administration sought to pressure North Korea to end it’s nuclear and missile programs through a series of international sanctions designed to burden North Korea’s economy.
The most recent sanctions were approved by the United Nations Security Council in December following a missile test from Pyongyang. The sanctions were designed to cut North Korea’s oil imports, require North Koreans working overseas to return to North Korea within 24 months to deprive the nation of foreign currency, and crack down on North Korea’s exports.
Earlier in the day Thursday, the White House shared photos from then-Secretary of State nominee Mike Pompeo’s Easter weekend meeting earlier this month with Kim. Trump also said the U.S. has narrowed a meeting between Kim and Trump down to five locations and up to four dates.
