A group of top South Korean officials made a rare trip Friday to the joint security area inside the heavily fortified Demilitarized Zone, the venue of recent inter-Korean dialogue and an upcoming summit between the leaders of the two Koreas.

The one-day trip came as South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un are set to hold their first meeting on the South Korean side of the JSA on April 27.

It will mark the third inter-Korean summit and the first time for a North Korean leader to step on South Korean soil since the end of the 1950-53 Korean War. The two Koreas technically remain at war.


The group of South Korean officials was led by Moon’s chief of staff Im Jong-seok, who heads a preparation committee for the upcoming summit. It also included foreign and defense ministers, as well as several other ranking officials from Cheong Wa Dae and various government offices, including the Unification Ministry, according to Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom.

“Construction works are currently under way ahead of the April 27 South-North Korea summit. And the group made a visit to make sure the ongoing construction and the summit will be held without any disruption,” he told reporters.

A series of talks between the two Koreas have already been held on both South and North Korean sides of the JSA, also known as the Truce Village or Panmunjeom.

A working-level inter-Korean dialogue was set to be held there Saturday to discuss the establishment of a hotline between the countries’ leaders.

Meanwhile, the Cheong Wa Dae spokesman said the official title of the North Korean leader’s wife Ri Sol-ju will be lady or Mrs. Ri should there be a need to address her in the future.

Whether the upcoming summit will involve the leaders’ wives has not yet been decided, Cheong Wa Dae officials said.

The North Korean leader holds the official title of chairman as he heads the country’s state affairs commission. (Yonhap)