Singapore summit stabilised regional security: Kim

Seoul

NORTH Korean leader Kim Jong-un said on Tuesday his "historic" summit with US President Donald Trump in Singapore stabilised regional security, and that he expected further progress at an inter-Korean summit aimed at reviving stalled nuclear diplomacy.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Mr Kim held their first round of discussions on Tuesday in Pyongyang at the start of a landmark three-day visit to salvage stalled nuclear talks.

The leaders spoke for two hours at the headquarters of the Workers' Party of Korea in Pyongyang. Mr Kim praised "tireless efforts" by Mr Moon, saying they helped improve North Korea's relations with the US and stabilise the region, according to a media pool report.

"Thanks to that, the political situation in the region has stabilised and I expect more advanced results," Mr Kim told Mr Moon, referring to the Singapore gathering, at the start of their talks.

Mr Moon replied that he respected Mr Kim's determination to "open a new era" of cooperation and that he feels a "heavy responsibility", the report said.

Mr Moon's trip is scheduled to feature a press appearance on Wednesday with Mr Kim, who has resisted American attempts to spell out a timetable for giving up his nuclear weapons. Talks have stalled just three months after he met Mr Trump in Singapore, with Mr Kim saying the US needs to reciprocate for the country's dismantling nuclear and missile test sites.

Mr Kim is pushing for a peace declaration with the US before he takes concrete steps toward getting rid of his nuclear capability. American strategists fear such a declaration will bolster arguments to ease sanctions on North Korea - one of the biggest pieces of leverage Mr Trump has left - and draw down the US military presence in South Korea.

Thousands of North Koreans waved flowers and flags as Mr Kim and Mr Moon shared smiles and handshakes on the tarmac, a warm start to the first visit by a South Korean leader in 11 years.

"You, Mr President, are travelling all around the world, but our country is humble compared with developed nations," Mr Kim told Mr Moon. "I've been waiting and waiting for today. The level of the accommodation and schedule we provide may be low, but it's our best sincerity and heart."

Mr Moon said it was "time to bear fruit" and thanked Mr Kim for his hospitality, which included a massive welcome ceremony at Pyongyang International Airport featuring a large, goose-stepping honour guard and a military band.

Despite the goodwill during Mr Moon's arrival, North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency blamed the US for the deadlocked negotiations shortly after he touched down. It accused Washington of making "gangster-like" demands and failing to build confidence with measures like a peace declaration.

Citing a commentary published in the state-run Rodong Sinmun newspaper, it said the future of the talks "totally depends on the stand and action of the US".

"I will have candid talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to find common ground between the US demand to denuclearise and the North Korean demand to end their hostile relations," Mr Moon said at a meeting with his top aides on Monday. "What I am trying to achieve is peace. Not a temporary change that can be swayed by international conditions, but an irreversible and permanent peace."

Mr Moon flew with a roughly 200-person delegation that includes government officials, the billionaire heir of Samsung Electronics Co and other executives from South Korea's largest conglomerates. Besides formal meetings, Mr Moon and Mr Kim will watch art performances and enjoy a lavish welcome banquet.

It's only the third visit ever by a South Korean president to Pyongyang. In 2000 and 2007, two of Mr Moon's predecessors - who adopted a similar engagement policy - had met Kim Jong Il, the current leader's late father, in the city.

Mr Moon arguably has a tougher job this time around: the world is counting on him to persuade Mr Kim to commit to something that goes beyond the vague denuclearisation promise delivered in April. While Mr Kim has stopped the missile launches and nuclear tests that rattled the world last year, he still retains the capability to strike the US homeland with a nuclear weapon.

Mr Moon is aware that any progress on inter-Korean relations will be limited if Mr Kim fails to agree on specifics to end the North's nuclear programme, including giving a list of its nuclear facilities to the US and accepting international inspectors. The South Korean leader is betting on momentum toward peace to strengthen his own country's economy and bolster his sliding approval ratings.

Before the summit, Mr Moon's office tried to temper any rosy expectations on denuclearisation, saying it was the first time it would be discussed by leaders of the two Koreas.

"The heavy burden of denuclearisation is weighing on the summit," Im Jong-seok, Mr Moon's chief of staff, told reporters on Monday. "This is why we are very cautious and it is difficult to give any optimistic outlook."

A joint statement that could be announced as early as Wednesday morning will contain an agreement to reduce military tensions on the heavily guarded inter-Korean border, Mr Im said, but a denuclearisation deal will depend on "sincere talks" between the two leaders. The prospect of economic cooperation will also be limited, he noted. BLOOMBERG, REUTERS