Donald Trump steps into North Korea in historic first

North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un walks southward with US President Donald Trump, after the latter briefly stepped into the north of the Military Demarcation Line that divides North and South Korea. Pic /AFP

Panmunjom: Donald Trump stepped onto North Korean soil in a historic first Sunday as he met Pyongyang's leader Kim Jong Un in a moment of high diplomatic drama on the world's last Cold War frontier.

Moments after becoming the only sitting US president to set foot inside North Korea, Trump brought Kim back over the dividing line for a meeting where they agreed to start working-level talks on Pyongyang's nuclear weapons.

Trump also said he had invited the young leader to the White House "anytime he wants to do it".

"It's a great day for the world and it's an honour for me to be here," Trump said. "A lot of great things are happening." As they sat down for discussions, Kim said their "handshake of peace" in a location that was "the symbol of the division of north and south" showed that "we are willing to put the past behind us." The impromptu meeting came with negotiations between Pyongyang and Washington at a deadlock.

'Productive discussion'

Trump had a "productive discussion" with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on topics like Iran, 5G and national security during their meeting here, the US president's daughter and top adviser Ivanka Trump said as she described India as a "critical" trading partner, security partner and ally of America.

Modi and Trump met in Osaka on the sidelines of the G20 Summit.

"So it was a productive discussion, everything from Iran to national security was covered by the President and the US delegation with their Indian counterparts," the 37-year-old said.

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