Trump then stepped over the borderline into the North, and walked a few steps along the pathway, becoming the first American president to set foot on North Korean soil. After exchanging further handshakes and a few words, the two leaders crossed back together. Trump and Kim then moved further to join South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who was watching the historic moment a few steps behind. He had accompanied Trump on his unprecedented trip to the Joint Security Area. Standing side by side, the three leaders conversed briefly before heading to the Freedom House together, where Trump and Kim had a one-on-one meeting behind closed doors.

The encounter at the border village did not have any extravagant embellishments such as honor guards or a military band, which would be usual for this kind of high-profile meeting. Instead, it had security staff jostling journalists eager to capture this unprecedented event. Trump, who is on a two-day visit to South Korea that started Saturday, made an impromptu invitation to the North Korean leader on Friday to come to the DMZ “just to shake his hand and say Hello.” Describing his meeting with Kim as “a special moment,” Trump thanked Kim for the acceptance of his invitation and said there was “a great relationship” between the two.