The “historic” meeting isn’t unprecedented
by digby
 |
| South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun shakes hands with Kim Jong-il in Pyongyang in 2007 |
 |
| South Korean President Kim Dae-jung and North Korean leader Kim Jong Il join hands before signing an agreement during a historic summit between the two countries in Pyongyang on June 14, 2000. |
Everyone knows this isn’t the first meeting between North and South Korean leaders, right?
2000 inter-Korean summit
In 2000, the representatives of the two governments met for the first time since the division of the Korean peninsula. Kim Dae-jung, the president of the Republic of Korea who arrived at Pyongyang Sunan International Airport, met Kim Jong-il, head of the North Korean National Defense Commission, directly under the trap of the airport
- Participants: President Kim Dae-jung of the Republic of Korea and Chairman of the National Defense Commission of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Kim Jong-il
- Place of meeting: Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Pyongyang
- Date of the meeting: June 13 – June 15, 2000
- Results of talks: June 15 joint declaration
2007 inter-Korean summit
The June 2007 summit declaration was adopted, which included the realization of the June 15 Joint Declaration, the promotion of a three-party or four-party summit meeting to resolve the nuclear issue on the Korean peninsula, and active promotion of inter-Korean economic cooperation projects.
- Participants: President Roh Moo-hyun of the Republic of Korea and Chairman of the National Defense Commission of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea Kim Jong-il
- Place of meeting: Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Pyongyang
- Date of the meeting: October 2 – October 4, 2007
- Results of talks: 2007 North-South Summit Declaration
2018 inter-Korean summit
The 2018 inter-Korean summit was held on 27 April 2018 in ROK portion of the Joint Security Area, it was the third summit between the South and North Korea, agreed by Moon Jae-in and North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un.
- Participants: President Moon Jae-in of the Republic of Korea and Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Kim Jong-un
- Place of meeting: Republic of Korea, Joint Security Area
- Date of the meeting: April 27, 2018
- Results of talks: Panmunjom Declaration for Peace, Prosperity and Unification of the Korean Peninsula
The only reason I bring this up is because Trump is saying that nobody ever did what he has done etc, etc as usual and well, it’s wrong. There have been other talks and they may end up being seen as the precursors to some kind of rapprochement between the two countries. They did not deter North Korea from pursuing their nuclear weapons program and it’s highly unlikely, considering the message America has sent to the world about the consequences of giving them up. (America will invade you and your leaders will be killed.)
Trump will strut around like a conquering hero and we’ll all be forced to kiss his hem as the living God he is, but it won’t make it true. If this happens it will be because there has been a very slow, long term thaw and a tremendous amount of pressure coming from all directions over the course of many years. Trump’s tweets will not have been the reason.
.