© Murad Sezer/Reuters
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and the South's president, Moon Jae-in, are scheduled to meet at a rare inter-Korean summit on April 27. A local media report indicated that the date could put an end to more than half a century of confrontation.
Kim Jong-un and Moon Jae-in are to meet in the demilitarized zone in the village of Panmunjom, 53km north of Seoul. It will be the third event of its kind in the history of the two nations. Two previous meetings in 2000 and 2007 focused on political and economic issues.
Delegations from the North and the South have been holding meetings prior to the high-level talks to discuss a joint statement. The document may lead to "the end of confrontation," newspaper Munhwa Ilbo reported Tuesday, citing a government official.
War broke out between the two Koreas in 1950, and they formally remain at war despite the de facto end of hostilities in 1953.
The thaw in relations began on the eve of the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang, South Korea, when the two nations formed a joint women's ice-hockey team and agreed to march under a unified banner at the opening ceremony.
Comment: A long time coming, the end of confrontation between the Koreas strengthens both factions towards achieving peace and prosperity. The decrease of a NK nuclear threat is an upside for the West -- given the US shows a modicum of sensibility and keeps hands off. Will the West support this positive development or see it as a strategic detriment and meddle, now that Bolton and Pompeo are running the show.