South Korean President Departs for Peace Talks in Pyongyang

SEOUL (Sputnik) - South Korean President Moon Jae-in left for Pyongyang on Tuesday for his third meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, Sputnik correspondent reported from the press center of the inter-Korean summit.

The president's Boeing departed from the Seongnam air base and arrived at the Pyongyang Sunan International Airport.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un personally welcomed President Moon Jae-in at an airport, after he came for his third meeting with the North Korean leader.

The leaders of the two Korean states shook hands and hugged one another, Sputnik correspondent reported from the press center of the inter-Korean summit in Seoul, where the meeting is broadcast.

First Lady of North Korea, Ri Sol Ju, welcomed spouse of the South Korean President, Kim Jung-sook. The military orchestra of the Korean People's Army played a welcome march, and the leaders went to the airport building.

There were banners "The united forces of the nation will open an era of peace and prosperity!" and "We warmly welcome the visit of President Moon Jae-in to Pyongyang!" carried by residents of Pyongyang — women in bright colored national dresses and men in strict European-style suits lined up in dense columns.

During a three-day visit in Pyongyang, the South Korean president will twice hold talks with Kim Jong-un and discuss further improvement of relations, denuclearization and development of dialogue between North Korea and the United States, as well as easing military tension on the Korean Peninsula.

Before his departure, Moon Jae-in said that the upcoming summit will be of a great importance if it helps resuming the dialogue between the United States and North Korea.

This is the first visit of the South Korean leader to Pyongyang in the past 11 years, after the visit of former President Roh Moo-hyun to North Korea back in October 2007.

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US-North Korean relations improved following the historic Singapore summit between Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un in June. During the high-level talks, North Korea expressed its commitment to denuclearization, while the United States pledged to provide security guarantees to Pyongyang.