According to South Korean media reports, South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un climbed the "Baekdu Mountain" (known in China as Changbai Mountain) together on the 20th. In the footage broadcast by South Korea's YTN television, Kim Jong-un and Moon Jae-in held hands in front of Tenchi and raised their heads, and the first ladies of the DPRK and South Korea stood on each side, smiling and clapping their hands to congratulate.
On September 20, at the main peak of "Baekdusan", "General Peak", Moon Jae-in (second from right) and Kim Jong-un (second from left) held hands for a group photo. (Image source: Yonhap News Agency)
According to reports, Moon Jae-in said: "The first step was taken today, and I believe that the era of South Korean people visiting 'Baekdusan' will surely come." ”
Kim Jong-un said, "Today only a few people have climbed Baekdusan Mountain, and in the future, South Koreans and overseas compatriots will visit Baekdusan Mountain." ”
On the same day, Moon Jae-in and his wife Kim Jong-sook took the South Korean "Air Force Ii" special plane from Pyongyang's Shun'an International Airport at 7:27 a.m. (all local time below) and flew to Samcheon Airport at 8:20 a.m.
On September 18, South Korean President Moon Jae-in arrived in Pyongyang, North Korea, and North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un and his wife, Lee Seok-joo, greeted him at the airport. (Photo courtesy of the Pyongyang joint interview mission)
Mr. and Mrs. Kim, who were waiting at the airport beforehand, personally greeted Moon and held a welcoming ceremony for him. The rok and North Korean leaders and their spouses drove from Samikeyeon Airport to the main peak of "Baekdusan Mountain" and "General Peak".
After ascending the main peak, the two leaders boarded the cable car at 10:10 and arrived at Tianchi at about 10:20.
Mr. and Mrs. Moon Jae-in and Mr. and Mrs. Kim Jong-un walk around Tenchi, accompanied by South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-ho.
Yonhap News Agency pointed out that the leaders of the two Koreas climbed the "Baekdusan" Tianchi together, which is as historically symbolic as the walking and sitting and talking on the pedestrian bridge after the two leaders met at Panmunjom on April 27.
At the invitation of Kim Jong-un, Mr. and Mrs. Moon Jae-in left the Baihuayuan Guest House at 6:39 a.m. on the same day, North Korean residents held bouquets of flowers and Korean Peninsula flags in their hands, shouted "reunification of the motherland," and bid farewell to Moon Jae-in. On their way to the airport, Mr. and Mrs. Moon kept reaching out of their cars to wave to North Korean residents. Upon arriving at The Airport in Shun'an, Moon was once again greeted by the citizens of Pyongyang.
It has been learned that after Moon Jae-in's trip to "Baekdusan Mountain," he and some of his entourage will fly directly back to South Korea from Miikeyuan Airport on the "Air Force No. 2" special plane. The rest of the entourage returned to Pyongyang to catch Air Force One at Thuan An Airport.