Kim Jong-un has become the first North Korean leader to step into the South for 65 years as he met with President Moon Jae-in for a historic peace summit on Friday.
The two sworn enemies exchanged a warm greeting at the 38th parallel in the truce village of Panmunjom before Moon led Kim by the hand to cross into the South for the first time ever.
It comes following a year in which North Korea, the South and the US traded increasingly bellicose rhetoric about nuclear war amid a series of atomic tests by Kim's regime, but then dramatically softened their stances in the last few months.
The leaders kept up their friendly demeanor even during the official talks inside the Peace House pavilion, with Kim joking to Moon that he would 'stop interrupting his sleep' with constant missile tests.
South Korea praised the first round of discussions as 'sincere and candid' and said the leaders also addressed denuclearization, the prospect of permanent peace and the fate of North Korean defectors.
The two sides were writing up a joint statement and the leaders will announce it together when it is finished. Both sides are resuming for talks after planting a commemorative pine tree and later Kim's wife Ri Sol Ju will join the two for dinner, officials said.
At the historic moment when the two leaders shook hands across the Military Demarcation line that bisects the rivals, Kim said his heart 'keeps throbbing'. The dictator then thanked Moon for meeting at 'historic place', to which he responded by saying the dictator had made a 'very courageous decision' to come to the South.
In his opening remarks, Kim said he was 'flooded with emotion' after crossing the military demarcation line, adding that it was 'so easy' making him wonder 'why it took so long to do so after 11 years'. Kim also said during opening talks that he would like to visit Moon at his official residence in Seoul.
Speaking to the dictator at the Peace House, President Moon said the demarcation line was 'no longer a symbol of division but a symbol of peace'.
Referring to Kim Jong-un, he added: 'I would like to pay tribute to the courageous decision made by you - you have made a bold and courageous decision, so why don't we make the bold and courageous decision to amicably discuss peace, to once again give a great gift to the whole humankind by achieving peace.'
As talks resumed this after lunch, Kim and Moon poured a mixture of soil and water from both countries onto a pine tree they planted together. They also unveiled a stone plaque placed next to the tree that was engraved with a message saying 'Peace and Prosperity Are Planted.'
The pine tree dates to 1953, the year the Korean War ended in an armistice. The soil and water were brought from the Koreas' mountains and rivers.
The leaders then talked while walking unaccompanied on a nearby bridge before they are expected to resume the afternoon session of their summit at Panmunjom. Kim at one point was seen waving away photographers as he and Moon continued their talks sitting on chairs placed at the bridge.
Later, there will be another round of talks at a 14-seat table supported by legs which are shaped like two bridges merging.
The seat-backs will be decorated with a map of the Korean Peninsula, while the blue-carpeted room will include an image of Geumgangsan Mountain in the North painted by an artist from the South.
Earlier Kim, donning his trademark dark Mao suit, had arrived by car before entering South Korea to meet President Moon at 9.30am local time (8.30pm EST/12.30am GMT).
The dictator emerged right on cue from a large building on the northern side of the border, walked down a wide flight of stairs and strolled confidently toward Moons to begin the historic meeting.
Smiling broadly and exchanging greetings, the two shook hands for a long time, looking from outward appearances like old friends. Moon had awaited Kim's arrival at 'Freedom House,' a building on the southern side of the Demilitarized Zone.
Tree planting together to show strength
As soon as Moon saw Kim come out, he walked to meet him at the border so that their handshake would be at the most symbolic of locations, each leader standing on his side of the military demarcation line.
Their hands still clasped, Moon invited the North Korean leader into the South over a line marked by a curb of concrete. Kim then gestured for Moon to step into the North. They both did, and then returned to the South together, hands held.
The North Korean leader was then met by South Korean children bearing flowers and a military honor guard before he headed into the Peace House to sign a guestbook, visibly out of breath.
'New history starts from now, at the historic starting point of an era of peace,' he wrote.
In an initial televised exchange, Kim said he was ready for 'heartfelt, sincere and honest' discussions with Moon, although he did not mention the issue of nuclear weapons.
However, suspicions deepened after it emerged part of the test site has already collapsed, potentially rendering it unable to host further launches anyway.
After the announcement, they will have dinner on the South's side and watch a video clip themed 'Spring of One'.
The menu consists of items from the North and South, including a cold noodle dish called naengmyeon, which will be specially prepared by a chef from Okryugwan, one of Pyongyang's finest restaurants.
The item is said to have been suggested by Moon and, as Kim joked about earlier, required a noodle-making machine to be carried over with the North's delegations so it can be prepared fresh.
In addition, the dictator brought his own toilet to avoid having to use a public one.
The leaders will also dine on John Dory, the favored fish in Moon's childhood province of Busan, and a Korean take on rosti, the Swiss dish Kim ate while attending school in Switzerland.
The dessert, a mango mousse decorated with a map of the Korean Peninsula, resulted in an official complaint from Japan for showing islands it claims sovereignty over.
