Kim and Moon head to sacred North Korean volcano on final day of summit

The leaders of the rival Koreas have taken to the road for the final day of their summit, standing on the peak of a volcano considered sacred in the North.

The trip to the still-active Mount Paektu by Kim Jong Un and his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in will resonate in both Koreas following a day of wide-ranging agreements which both leaders hailed as a major step towards peace.

Mr Kim and Mr Moon flew separately to an airport near Mount Paektu, near the Chinese border, where they then met up and drove to the mountain.

Photos showed the leaders smiling broadly as they posed at the summit, with their wives grinning at their sides, beneath a brilliant blue sky with the deep crater lake that tops the volcano in the background.

The volcano is a centrepiece of propaganda used to legitimise the Kim family’s rule, with members of the ruling dynasty referred to as sharing the “Paektu Bloodline”. The volcano is part of the national emblem and lends its name to everything from rockets to power stations.

Many South Koreans also feel drawn to the volcano, which, according to Korean mythology, was the birthplace of Dangun, the founder of the first ancient Korean kingdom, and has long been considered one of the most beautiful places on the peninsula.

Mr Moon departed for South Korea later, as the leaders bask in the glow of Wednesday’s joint statement.

Compared to the vague language of their two earlier summits, Mr Kim and Mr Moon seem to have agreed on an ambitious programme meant to tackle soaring tensions from last year which had many fearing war as the North tested a string of increasingly powerful weapons.

Mr Kim promised to accept international inspectors to monitor the closing of a key missile test site and launch pad and to visit Seoul soon, while both leaders vowed to work together to try to host the Summer Olympics in 2032.

It is also unclear what “corresponding steps” North Korea wants from the US to dismantle its nuclear site.

The question remains whether it will be enough for US president Donald Trump to pick up where Mr Moon has left off.

Mr Trump told reporters that the outcome of the summit was “very good news” and that “we’re making tremendous progress” with North Korea.

He did not indicate in his brief remarks whether the US would be willing to take further steps to encourage North Korean action on denuclearisation.

Mr Kim said: “We have agreed to make the Korean Peninsula a land of peace that is free from nuclear weapons and nuclear threat.

“The road to our future will not always be smooth and we may face challenges and trials we can’t anticipate. But we aren’t afraid of headwinds because our strength will grow as we overcome each trial based on the strength of our nation.”

Mr Moon urged unity for all Koreans. He said: “We have lived together for 5,000 years and lived in separation for 70 years.

“I now propose that we completely eliminate the hostility of the past 70 years and take a big step forward in peace so that we can become one again.”