Donald Trump steps onto North Korean soil in meeting with Kim Jong-un

Donald Trump has become the first US president to cross the border into North Korea during a historic meeting with Kim Jong-un.

Donald Trump has met with Kim Jong-un in the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) between North and South Korea, as part of a last-minute meeting between the two leaders.

The President shook hands with Mr Kim and took 20 steps into North Korea.

The history-making meeting made Mr Trump the first US president to step foot on North Korean soil after crossing the demarcation line.

After a quick handshake, the two leaders spoke briefly, with Mr Trump saying it was a “great honour” to step across onto North Korean soil.

“Stepping across that line is a great honour, great progress has been made, great friendships have been made and this has been, in particular, a great friendship,” he said.

“We met and we liked each other from day one, and that is very important.”

President Donald Trump meets with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un at the border village of Panmunjom in the Demilitarised Zone. Picture: Susan Walsh/AP

US President Donald Trump steps into the northern side of the Military Demarcation Line that divides North and South Korea. Picture: Brendan Smialowski/AFP

Mr Kim praised the US president for being the first to cross the border into North Korea.

“President Trump just crossed became first US president to visit our country,” he said.

“This is an expression of his willingness to eliminate the aggression of the past and open a new future.”

Speaking through a translator, the North Korean leader congratulated Mr Trump on his “courageous and determined act”, which he said signifies a willingness to “bring an end to the unpleasant past”.

Mr Trump also said he would invite Mr Kim to visit the White House moments after Mr Kim crossed the demarcation line himself and entered into South Korea.

The North Korean leader reciprocated the invite, claiming it would be an “honour” to host Mr Trump at Pyongyang “at the right time”.

The brief meeting has raised hopes that denuclearisation talks will continue between the leaders. Picture: Brendan Smialowski/AFP

BREAKING: @realDonaldTrump is meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in the demilitarized zone

MORE: https://t.co/ykweMevBOK pic.twitter.com/m5K8BiNWO6

— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) June 30, 2019

It is the third time the two leaders have met, and the first since a failed summit on the North’s nuclear program in Vietnam earlier this year.

President Trump thanked Mr Kim for responding to his last-minute invitation and saving him from looking bad to the press.

“When I put out the social media notification, if he didn’t show up, the press was going to make me look very bad, so you made us both look good and I appreciate it,” he said.

Mr Kim admitted he was surprised by the invitation but hopes the meeting “can be the foundation for better things in the future”.

Mr Kim praised Mr Trump as “courageous” for stepping onto North Korean soil. Picture: Susan Walsh/AP

During the meeting Mr Trump said he would be willing to host Mr Kim at the White House. Picture: Brendan Smialowski/AFP

Speaking to the press after the meeting alongside South Korean President Moon Jae-in, Mr Trump said the three parties have agreed to set up teams “to start working to see if they can do something”.

“The team will try and work out some details, and again speed is not the object, we want to see if we can do a really comprehensive good deal,” he said.

Mr Trump also snuck in a few digs at the Obama administration, calling it a “fiery mess”.

Yesterday, President Trump announced on Twitter that he would be willing to meet with the North Korean leader to “shake his hand” for a history-making photo opportunity.

“After some very important meetings, including my meeting with President Xi of China, I will be leaving Japan for South Korea (with President Moon),” Mr Trump wrote on Twitter.

“While there, if Chairman Kim of North Korea sees this, I would meet him at the Border/DMZ just to shake his hand and say Hello(?)!”

After some very important meetings, including my meeting with President Xi of China, I will be leaving Japan for South Korea (with President Moon). While there, if Chairman Kim of North Korea sees this, I would meet him at the Border/DMZ just to shake his hand and say Hello(?)!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 28, 2019

President Moon announced that Mr Kim accepted Mr Trump’s invitation to meet when the US president visits the heavily fortified site at the Korean border village of Panmunjom.

Moon praised the two leaders for “being so brave” to hold the meeting.

“I hope President Trump will go down in history as the president who achieves peace on Korean Peninsula,” Moon said.

Mr Trump has been attempting to restart nuclear talks with Mr Kim after negotiations broke down during a summit in Vietnam earlier in the year.

The Marine One helicopter carrying President Donald Trump to the demilitarised zone (DMZ) takes off from Seoul, South Korea. Picture: Jacquelyn Martin/AP

Peering into North Korea from Observation Post Ouellette before the meeting with Mr Kim, Mr Trump was briefed on the North’s extensive artillery across the border that threatens the 35 million residents of Seoul, just over two dozen miles away.

“All accessible by what they have in the mountains,” Mr Trump said.

Mr Trump claimed to reporters that, after his first meeting with Mr Kim, “all of the danger went away.”

He criticised the media for how they covered his previous meetings with Mr Kim, saying “they have no appreciation for what we have done”.

“I would say to people who say nothing has been accomplished, so much was accomplished,” he said.

The meeting was expected to be little more than a handshake and brief chat but it turned into private talks that stretched beyond half an hour.

There are hopes the last minute catch up will open the door to get negotiations over North Korea’s nuclear program back on track.

President Donald Trump views North Korea from the Korean Demilitarised Zone from Observation Post Ouellette at Camp Bonifas. Picture: Susan Walsh/AP

Before the meeting, Mr Trump sought to dial down expectations, predicting it would be “very short”.

“Virtually a handshake, but that’s OK,” he told reporters. “A handshake means a lot.”

North Korea responded to the US President’s invitation by calling the offer a “very interesting suggestion.”

Officials spent Sunday morning working out logistic and security details, Mr Trump said during an earlier appearance with Moon.

Before flying to South Korea, Mr Trump admitted he didn’t even know if Mr Kim was in North Korea to accept the invitation.

Donald Trump is in South Korea from June 29-30 amid ongoing diplomatic activities surrounding North Korea's denuclearisation. Picture: Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images)

“All I did is put out a feeler, if you’d like to meet,” Mr Trump said in Japan.

He added: “I just thought of it this morning.”

Before arriving in Seoul, Mr Trump said at a news conference in Japan that he’d “feel very comfortable” crossing the border into North Korea if Mr Kim showed up, saying he’d “have no problem” becoming the first US president to step into North Korea.

Mr Trump also insisted that he has a “good relationship” with the North Korean leader, despite nuclear talks breaking down during their last meeting.

Speaking before the meeting, the US President suggested a third summit between the two countries could happen in the near future.

“A third North Korea-US Summit, and the timing of that, really, that would depend on what kind of change today’s encounter will bring about. But we have expectations for future development, obviously,” he said.