On this day in Korea - June 16, 1998: Chung leads cattle to North

Hyundai Group’s honorary Chairman Chung Ju-yung visited North Korea, taking 500 head of cattle that he donated to the country. Chung became the first South Korean civilian to be allowed to visit the North through the truce village of Panmunjom in the Demilitarized Zone. The founder of South Korea’s leading conglomerate died aged 86 in March 2001. The crossing, nicknamed the “Cattle Drive Diplomacy,” opened the door for inter-Korean economic cooperation, including the Kumgangsan tourism project. Driven by a desire to help his birthplace in the North, Chung’s gesture laid the groundwork for the 2000 inter-Korean summit.