North Korea had interrupted travel between the
demarcation line several times after the United States launched a military exercise with South Korea on March 9, a war game denounced by Pyongyang as a preparation for an invasion.
At 9:29 a.m., the two leaders had their first encounter with the military
demarcation line (MDL) between them.
During summit talks Thursday in the Kremlin, Japanese Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi and Russian President Boris Yeltsin basically agreed to move forward with negotiations for drawing a
demarcation line between the two countries in a bid to solve a territorial row and then conclude a peace treaty by 2000.
There was speculation that Ri would accompany him when the North Korean leader crossed the military
demarcation line (MDL) or the border in the morning but she didn't come.
North Korea threatened Wednesday to ''strictly restrict and cut off'' overland passage through the military
demarcation line with South Korea from December, saying Seoul is taking a policy of confrontation toward Pyongyang.
Russia plans to maintain its control of four disputed islands northeast of Japan's northernmost main island of Hokkaido, rejecting a recent proposal by Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto to set a
demarcation line between the two countries north of the disputed islands, Itar-Tass news agency reported Monday.
When North Korean leader Kim was shown on camera descending a set of stairs on his way to the Military
Demarcation Line to meet President Moon Jae-in, the audience raised their eyes and stared at the 34-year-old leader as he came out of seclusion.