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| Korean leaders meet in Pyongyang | Korean leaders meet in Pyongyang |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| North Korea's reclusive leader Kim Jong-il has welcomed South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun as he arrived in Pyongyang for a historic summit. | North Korea's reclusive leader Kim Jong-il has welcomed South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun as he arrived in Pyongyang for a historic summit. |
| Live television footage showed the two men shaking hands ahead of three days of talks in the North Korean capital. | Live television footage showed the two men shaking hands ahead of three days of talks in the North Korean capital. |
| The summit between the two leaders is only the second such meeting in more than 50 years since the Korean war. | |
| President Roh said that he was aiming for a "peace settlement together with economic development". | President Roh said that he was aiming for a "peace settlement together with economic development". |
| The 1950-53 war between the two sides has never formally ended, but Seoul has promoted hopes for a permanent truce. | The 1950-53 war between the two sides has never formally ended, but Seoul has promoted hopes for a permanent truce. |
| It says this summit may pave the way for that historic step | It says this summit may pave the way for that historic step |
| Brief reunions | Brief reunions |
| President Roh left the South Korean capital, Seoul, early on Tuesday in a motorcade along with business leaders, bureaucrats, poets and clerics. | President Roh left the South Korean capital, Seoul, early on Tuesday in a motorcade along with business leaders, bureaucrats, poets and clerics. |
| class="" href="/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7022080.stm">Mixed feelings over summit class="" href="/1/hi/in_pictures/7023270.stm">In pictures: Historic crossing | |
| The convoy stopped at the demilitarized zone to allow the president and his wife, Kwon Yang-sook, to cross into the North on foot - the first time a South Korean leader has ever done this. | |
| They stepped across a yellow plastic tape, printed with the words "peace" and "prosperity". | They stepped across a yellow plastic tape, printed with the words "peace" and "prosperity". |
| "I do hope after my crossing that more people will follow suit," said President Roh at the border. "This line will gradually be erased and the wall will fall." | "I do hope after my crossing that more people will follow suit," said President Roh at the border. "This line will gradually be erased and the wall will fall." |
| Arriving in Pyongyang, he was greeted by Mr Kim, wearing his trademark khaki jumpsuit, in front of crowds who cheered and waved paper flowers, television pictures showed. | |
| Mr Roh has now gone to a state guesthouse where he will stay for the course of the summit. | |
| Economic aid | |
| The two states' only other summit was held in Pyongyang in 2000. | The two states' only other summit was held in Pyongyang in 2000. |
| At the time, Kim Jong-il promised to make the return journey to Seoul, but that has never happened. | At the time, Kim Jong-il promised to make the return journey to Seoul, but that has never happened. |
| The first summit led to the former South Korean President Kim Dae-jung winning the Nobel Peace Prize for his "sunshine policy" of rapprochement with the North. | The first summit led to the former South Korean President Kim Dae-jung winning the Nobel Peace Prize for his "sunshine policy" of rapprochement with the North. |
| Since then, rail and road links have been reconnected and families divided between the two countries have been granted reunions, if only briefly. | Since then, rail and road links have been reconnected and families divided between the two countries have been granted reunions, if only briefly. |
| President Roh (left) and Kim Jong-il are holding three days of talks | |
| But critics say the South's attempts at friendship and large donations of aid have failed to break down the impoverished North's isolationism or improve its human rights record. | But critics say the South's attempts at friendship and large donations of aid have failed to break down the impoverished North's isolationism or improve its human rights record. |
| Some observers doubt whether Kim Jong-il has any appetite for reconciliation, says the BBC's John Sudworth in Seoul. | Some observers doubt whether Kim Jong-il has any appetite for reconciliation, says the BBC's John Sudworth in Seoul. |
| They believe he prefers to keep his military threat to coax further economic aid and other concessions from the nervous South, our correspondent says. | They believe he prefers to keep his military threat to coax further economic aid and other concessions from the nervous South, our correspondent says. |
| The conservative opposition in South Korea has warned Mr Roh against making any "naive" economic concessions just for the sake of an agreement. | The conservative opposition in South Korea has warned Mr Roh against making any "naive" economic concessions just for the sake of an agreement. |
| "They must know that an emotional approach to the North would bring on disasters," spokeswoman Na Kyung-won said. | "They must know that an emotional approach to the North would bring on disasters," spokeswoman Na Kyung-won said. |
| One item not on the agenda is North Korea's nuclear weapons programme. | One item not on the agenda is North Korea's nuclear weapons programme. |
| That is being left for ongoing multi-party talks, which made significant progress over the weekend. | That is being left for ongoing multi-party talks, which made significant progress over the weekend. |
| A joint statement setting out the next step in the denuclearisation progress was agreed, and has been sent for approval to the six governments involved, including the two Koreas. | A joint statement setting out the next step in the denuclearisation progress was agreed, and has been sent for approval to the six governments involved, including the two Koreas. |