Moon gets ‘standing ovation’ after first ever speech by South Korean leader to North Koreans
Historic address comes after the two Koreas vowed to rid their peninsula of nuclear weapons – a result that experts say could ease tensions between the US and China
In a historic moment, South Korean President Moon Jae-in was given a standing ovation by tens of thousands of North Koreans on Wednesday night following the first-ever speech by a South Korean president in the country.
The applause capped a second day of talks with Kim Jong-un, during which the two leaders agreed to rid their peninsula of nuclear weapons. Speaking after the mass games in a packed May Day Stadium – which holds 150,000 – Moon announced their dramatic deal.
“We have confirmed our people’s principle of sovereignty, to determine our fate on our own and to significantly improve inter-Korean relations to hasten prosperity on the Korean peninsula” he declared.
“We have pledged to give a nuclear weapon-free and nuclear threat-free peaceful land to the next generation.”
Moon said the agreement also included measures to “completely eliminate military collisions”.