Kim Jong-un will become the first North Korean leader to set foot in South Korea by crossing the military line that has divided the peninsula since the end of the Korean War in 1953.
North Korea's Kim Jong-un crosses into South Korea
Kim Jong-un has become the first North Korean leader to set foot in South Korea by crossing the military line that has divided the peninsula since the end of the Korean War in 1953.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in met Mr Kim at the border at 09:30 (00:30 GMT) before talks begin.
Both men are on their way to the summit venue in the demilitarised zone (DMZ).
The historic meeting will focus on the North's recent indications it could be willing to give up its nuclear weapons.
In a moment rich with symbolism, Mr Kim and Mr Moon shook hands on both sides of the border in the demilitarised zone.
The South Korean president briefly stepped into the border back into North Korea as well - an unexpected moment.
Mr Kim's recent re-engagement and apparent concessions and have divided analysts, with some questioning the sincerity of his intentions.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in will greet Mr Kim at the border at 09:30 (00:30 GMT) before talks begin.
Both men are on their way to the summit venue in the demilitarised zone (DMZ).
The historic meeting will focus on the North's recent indications it could be willing to give up its nuclear weapons.
But Mr Kim's recent re-engagement and apparent concessions and have divided analysts, with some questioning the sincerity of his intentions.
Talks are also seen as a prelude to a proposed meeting between Mr Kim and US President Trump by early June, an unprecedented move as no sitting US president has met with North Korean leader.
KCNA announces Kim Jong-Un’s departure for the #InterKoreanSummit saying their leader “will open-heartedly discuss with Moon Jae In all the issues arising in improving inter-Korean relations and achieving peace, prosperity and reunification of the Korean Peninsula.”
A convoy of vehicles carrying Mr Moon later left Seoul for the talks, waved on by supporters.
Mr Kim will remain inside the demilitarised zone between the countries, but will cross the military demarcation line - a clearly defined marker of the official land border between the territories - into the border village of Panmunjom in Paju.
He will arrive by car then walk to the meeting point on foot, crossing the border not far from where a North Korean defector was shot multiple times by North Korean troops as he escaped, just five months ago.
At the summit, the two leaders will address North Korea's controversial nuclear weapons programme. Seoul has warned that reaching an agreement to rid Pyongyang of its nuclear weapons will be "difficult". North Korea's nuclear and missile technology has advanced significantly since the sides' leaders last met more than a decade ago.
"The difficult part is at what level the two leaders will be able to reach an agreement regarding willingness to denuclearise," South Korean presidential spokesperson Im Jong-seok said.
The meeting - the third of its kind following summits in 2000 and 2007 - is the result of months of improving relations between the two Koreas, and paves the way for a planned meeting between Mr Kim and US President Donald Trump.
Mike Pompeo, who was confirmed as the new US secretary of state on Thursday, met Mr Kim earlier this month to prepare for a meeting between the leaders. White House press secretary Sarah Sanders published the first pictures of the meeting following Mr Pompeo's confirmation.
Great to have Secretary Pompeo confirmed. He will do an excellent job helping @POTUSlead our efforts to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula. (photos from previously confirmed Easter weekend trip) pic.twitter.com/o4RNDKVmah
Earlier on Thursday, in a freewheeling phone interview with the Fox News channel, President Trump had cast some doubt on the summit with Kim, saying "maybe the meeting doesn't even take place". He also said he was considering three or four dates as well as five possible locations, if it were to go ahead.
As the US and North Korea tentatively pursued a thaw in relations, a US couple filed an extraordinary lawsuit against North Korea in federal court, alleging that their 22-year-old son Otto Warmbier was "brutally tortured and murdered" by Kim Jong Un's "criminal" regime.
Warmbier was detained in the country and held captive for 17 months. He was brought home to the US last June in a coma and died shortly after.
As well as addressing Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions, the leaders of the two Koreas are expected to discuss a path to peace on the peninsula to formally end the 1950-53 Korean War, and a series of economic and social issues.
South Korea and the US say they are suspending annual military drills for a day while the summit takes place.
How the summit will unfold
Every detail of the summit has been precisely planned - from the timetable to the dinner menu. Mr Moon will meet Mr Kim and his delegation of nine officials at the concrete blocks which mark the demarcation line on the border, Mr Im told reporters on Thursday.
Official talks between Mr Moon and Mr Kim will begin at 10:30 local time (01:30 GMT) at the Peace House in Panmunjom. The pair will break after the first session and will have lunch separately - with the delegation from the North crossing back to their side of the border.
At an afternoon ceremony, Mr Moon and Mr Kim will plant a pine tree using soil and water from both countries, to symbolise "peace and prosperity".
Following the tree planting, they will walk together before starting the next round of talks. The summit will conclude with the leaders signing an agreement and delivering a joint statement before dinner. The banquet will be held on the South's side - and a carefully planned menu has already been announced.
In a rare move - one not seen at previous inter-Korean summits - the delegation will also feature top military officials and diplomats. South Korean presidential spokesperson Mr Im said he was encouraged by this shift.
"I feel North Korea is sending their key military officials to the summit as they too believe denuclearisation and peace are important," he said.
"North Korea appears to take into account not only the inter-Korean summit but also the subsequent North-US summit and efforts for international co-operation."
South Korea will send seven officials along with President Moon, including the ministers for defence, foreign affairs and unification. The chairman of South Korea's joint chiefs of staff was a late addition to his entourage.
The path to the summit
The summit is the culmination of months of improving relations between the two countries, a trend few would have predicted as tension rose in recent years.
Mr Kim's new appetite for diplomacy led to a meeting with senior South Korean officials in March - the first time officials from Seoul had met the young leader since he came to power in 2011 - to map out details for a meeting with Mr Moon.
AFP
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