South Korean president meets North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s sister at the Winter Olympics
These were the highest level meetings between the two countries in more than a decade.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in met North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s sister on Saturday, on the sidelines of the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, Reuters reported. Moon hosted talks with Kim Yo-jong at the the presidential Blue House in Seoul. These were the highest level meetings between the two countries in more than a decade.
Kim Yo-jong had arrived in Seoul for the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics. Jong and Moon shook hands and cheered on the athletes from the two countries who marched under a unified peninsula flag.
A delegation of top leaders from South and North Korea met at the luncheon hosted by Moon, The Korea Herald reported. “I appreciate you stayed late out in the cold, are you all well?” Moon asked the North Korean team. The daily said the two sides “discussed a range of issues concerning the two Koreas”.
United States Vice President Mike Pence also attended the opening ceremony but not the delegation talks, Reuters said. Pence said the United States and South Korea were “closely aligned” in their approach to dealing with North Korea.
“I am very confident, as President Trump is, that President Moon will continue to stand strongly with us in our extreme-pressure campaign [against North Korea to give up nuclear weapons],” Pence said later. “Make no mistake about it, the United States of America has viable military options to deal with a nuclear threat from North Korea but, that being said, we hope for a better path.”