[Korean History] Divided Koreas hold first

On the morning of June 13, 2000, then-President Kim Dae-jung flew to Pyongyang on a route that had not been used for 55 years.

His arrival at Sunan Airport in Pyongyang for the first-ever inter-Korean summit since the 1950-53 Korean War was televised worldwide.

"Whether (North Korean leader) Kim Jong-il would show up or not at the airport was the talk of the town,” recalled Choi Sung-jin, a former reporter and editor of The Korea Herald.

When he did appear, the subsequent scene of the two leaders holding hands and smiling moved the hearts of many people watching in the South, even bringing some to tears, Choi said.

The dramatic moment marked the start of a historic three-day summit in the North Korean capital.

"At the time, I felt like the reunification of the two Koreas was going to happen soon," said Yu Kun-ha, a former managing editor of The Herald.

The front page of the next day's issue of The Korea Herald features a close-up photo of the two Kims' first encounter at the airport, with the boldest headline saying, "A day to be 'recorded in history.'"

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