Summary

  • President Trump met the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un at demarcation line between North and South Korea

  • The two men shook hands with Mr Kim saying he had never expected to meet the president at this place

  • Mr Trump then crossed over into North Korea, the first US President to do so

  • Mr Kim then stepped over into the South with Mr Trump, then greeted the South Korean president Moon Jae-in

  • Amid the theatre, the leaders held hour-long talks, agreeing to set up negotiating teams to continue discussions

  1. If you are just joining us:published at 08:41 British Summer Time 30 June 2019

    • US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un have met, in a surprise meeting at the demilitarised zone that separates North and South Korea.
    • It came after a tweet on Saturday from Mr Trump inviting the North Korean leader to meet, in what seems like an impromptu gesture.
    • They met and shook hands at the demarcation line and Mr Trump became the first sitting US president to step over the line and set foot in North Korea, at the invitation of Mr Kim.
    • They took about 10 steps into North Korea, before turning back and both stepping into South Korea.
    • They spoke briefly to reporters, in chaotic scenes.
    • They are now in private discussions in the Joint Security Area (JSA).

  2. Trump in a suitpublished at 08:39 British Summer Time 30 June 2019

    South Korea's Yonhap news agency captures another significance of Mr Trump's DMZ appearance - he had a suit on.

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    Barack Obama at the DMZImage source, AFP
    Image caption,

    For comparison, here is what President Barack Obama wore when he went to look at the DMZ in 2012

  3. Back to denuclearisation...published at 08:34 British Summer Time 30 June 2019

    If talks between the two nations are back on, one thing will be on everyone's minds: denuclearisation.

    Here's a video (from May last year) that sums up the issue:

    Media caption,

    Denuclearisation: The word Trump and Kim can't agree on

  4. An invitation to the White Housepublished at 08:30 British Summer Time 30 June 2019

    Our colleagues in South Korea have been going back through the footage of the chaotic but historic meeting today. It appears that with reporters looking on Mr Trump issued another invitation to Mr Kim, telling him: "I'll invite him right now to the White House."

    It's not clear if that is considered a formal invitation.

  5. Talks still going onpublished at 08:28 British Summer Time 30 June 2019

    According to the schedule, President Trump should be at a military base but he is still in talks with Kim Jong-un in the truce village of Panmunjom. The promised brief handshake has become a lot more.

    The schedule appears to have been ripped up and nobody knows what will come out of the meeting.

  6. The real test of todaypublished at 08:26 British Summer Time 30 June 2019

    Laura Bicker
    BBC News

    Many people are looking at these pictures today and not believing their eyes, including myself.

    As amazing as this moment is, it is worth pointing out we still have no working level talks between the two countries, There seems to be no desire to look into the details of a denuclearisation deal. North Korea still has nuclear weapons, is there any way they will give them up?

    It's an extraordinary moment and it does show that these two people have personal chemistry, but can that lead to anything else? That will be the real test of today

  7. The Australian feared detainedpublished at 08:19 British Summer Time 30 June 2019

    Mr Trump earlier reminded reporters that one of the major developments in his talks with Mr Kim has been the return of US citizens detained in North Korea. He made no mention, however, of Otto Warmbier, who was jailed in North Korea and died shortly after being sent home to the US.

    Just days ago, Australian authorities said they were investigating whether a master's student living in Pyongyang, Alex Sigley, was being detained in North Korea.

    No information is available on where is or why he might have been detained.

    Australian student Alek Sigley is seen in this undated photo obtained on June 27, 2019.Image source, Reuters
  8. The North Korean film script?published at 08:15 British Summer Time 30 June 2019

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  9. Some more images of the momentpublished at 08:11 British Summer Time 30 June 2019

    Clearer images of that historic moment at the demarcation line are now coming through.

    trump kim meetingImage source, AFP
    trump and kimImage source, AFP
  10. Ivanka and Jared in the roompublished at 08:10 British Summer Time 30 June 2019

    Mr Trump's daughter, Ivanka - a White House adviser - is part of his entourage at the DMZ, along with her husband Jared Kushner. They were in the room for Mr Trump and Mr Kim's chat.

    Not there was South Korean President Moon Jae-in. He appears to have taken a back seat for that moment.

  11. 'A sign North Korea is relaxing'published at 08:10 British Summer Time 30 June 2019

    John Delury of Yonsei University in Seoul, speaking on BBC World News, said that Mr Kim seemed much more comfortable than at his last meeting with President Trump.

    "Hopefully his relaxed body language is a sign that North Korea is also relaxing," he said.

  12. Stepping over the linepublished at 08:06 British Summer Time 30 June 2019

    US President Donald Trump just became the first sitting US president to set foot in North Korea. Here is a picture of that historic moment. He says Mr Kim invited him over.

    US President Donald Trump steps into the northern side of the Military Demarcation Line that divides North and South Korea, as North Korea"s leader Kim Jong Un looks on, in the Joint Security Area (JSA) of Panmunjom in the Demilitarized zone (DMZ) on June 30, 2019.Image source, AFP/Getty Images
  13. 'I enjoy being with you'published at 08:05 British Summer Time 30 June 2019

    Mr Trump has repeatedly stressed the coverage of his relationship with North Korea, accusing the media of being too negative.

    He notes that his invitation to Mr Kim came by Twitter, telling him: "If you didn't show up the press was going to make me look very bad."

    He says he was "proud to step over that line" in to North Korea.

    "I enjoy being with you," he tells Mr Kim as the press conference ends.

  14. Trump and Kim sit down in DMZpublished at 08:01 British Summer Time 30 June 2019

    The two leaders are now sitting down inside the DMZ for a press conference, not something we expected to happen.

    Mr Kim says it is "very significant" that they can meet - "This means we can feel at ease and meet each other with positive answers," he says through a translator.

    "I believe this will have a positive influence on all of our discussions in the future".

  15. First tri-lateral meetingpublished at 08:01 British Summer Time 30 June 2019

    Commentator Ankit Panda points out that this is the first tri-lateral meeting between South Korea, North Korea and the US. South Korean President Moon Jae-in has been trying to act as a mediator between the two countries for years.

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  16. This changes thingspublished at 08:01 British Summer Time 30 June 2019

    Laura Bicker
    BBC News

    These kinds of moments change things, they change the dynamics.

  17. 'So un-North Korean'published at 08:01 British Summer Time 30 June 2019

    The optics of that moment were something we've never seen before. North Korea likes diplomacy to be careful choreographed. And until Hanoi, Mr Kim never answered media questions. But this is more of a media scrum, with reporters and cameras right among the three leaders.

    John Delury of Yonsei University in Seoul tells the BBC the fact that Mr Kim is talking to Mr Moon and Mr Trump together is also extraordinary.

    "The old playbook is you always separate the Americans and the South Koreans. The fact that Kim says, sure that’s fine for the three of us to get together and answer some questions - this is so un-North Korean."

  18. Another historic momentpublished at 07:59 British Summer Time 30 June 2019

    The presidents of the US, South Korea and North Korea share a laugh in the DMZ. This would have been unthinkable less than two years ago.

    Moon Jae-in, Kim Jong-un, Trump in DMZImage source, AFP
  19. The iconic photopublished at 07:56 British Summer Time 30 June 2019

    The photo we've been waiting for - President Trump and Kim Jong-un have now been photographed shaking hands in the DMZ.

    Trump and Kim at DMZImage source, Reuters
  20. Trump: 'A great honour'published at 07:54 British Summer Time 30 June 2019

    After his handshake with Mr Kim, Mr Trump said it was "a great honour to be here".

    They certainly appear to be showing off the close friendship they say they have developed since they stopped hurling insults at each other less than two years ago.