South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun crossed the Military
Demarcation Line (MDL) on foot Tuesday, taking a landmark step into
the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).
South
Korean President Roh Moo-hyun (1st L) and his wife Kwon Yang-sook
cross the border line in Paju, north of Seoul, capital of the
Republic of Korea (ROK), Oct. 2, 2007.
Roh, who will hold a summit with top DPRK leader
Kim Jong-il from Tuesday to Thursday, became the first-ever leader
from the South to walk across the border, which symbolizes more
than half a century of estrangement since the 1950-1953 Korean
War.
Prior to the historic step at around 9:05 AM (0005
GMT), Roh said he will make efforts to bring about peace and
prosperity on the Korean Peninsula.
"I can see nothing around here. But this
(invisible) border line has been a barrier separating the Korean
people for the past half a century," he said.
"The Korean people have suffered too much pain
because of this border line. I'll work hard to pave the way for
(inter-Korean) peace and prosperity," said the president.
After the emotional speech, Roh, First Lady Kwon Yang-suk and 13
official delegates walked about 30 meters to cross the border on
foot, a symbolic gesture intended to demonstrate their enthusiasm
for permanent peace on the peninsula.
A new yellow line was painted alongside the MDL, which runs near
the 38th parallel for roughly 248 km across the peninsula, as the
line itself is not clearly drawn and is only marked by a series of
identical signs placed at intervals.
Established as the ceasefire line at the end of the Korean War,
the MDL has served as a symbol of Korean separation for more than
five decades.
(Xinhua News Agency October 2, 2007)
