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(LEAD) N. Korean leader welcomes Moon at airport with cheek-to-cheek embrace

All News 11:39 September 18, 2018

(ATTN: UPDATES throughout with Moon's arrival, details; CHANGES headline)

SEOUL, Sept. 18 (Yonhap) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un welcomed South Korean President Moon Jae-in to Pyongyang on Tuesday in an elaborate airport ceremony featuring a cheek-to-cheek embrace, goose-stepping honor guards and hundreds of people waving flowers and shouting "Hurrah."

After Moon's presidential jet touched down at Pyongyang's Sunan International Airport, the North's leader and his wife, Ri Sol-ju, emerged from the airport terminal to the wild cheers of hundreds of people waving flowers, the North's national flag and the "Korean Peninsula flag," a neutral flag bearing the image of the peninsula that is often used at inter-Korean events.

Behind them were large signs bearing slogans reading, "We ardently welcome President Moon Jae-in visiting Pyongyang!" and "Let's open up an era of peace and prosperity with combined strength of the Korean People!" according to live footage provided by the North's Central TV Station to the South.

The North's leader, clad in a dark Maoist suit, and his wife walked side by side on the red-carpeted tarmac to Moon's plane. Upon their arrival at the foot of the jet, Moon and first lady Kim Jung-sook emerged from the plane, waved to the well-wishers, and walked down the steps.

With broad smiles on their faces, Moon and Kim embraced with a cheek-to-cheek hug and shook both hands. They also exchanged greetings with each other's wife and talked to each other on the tarmac for a while, as hundreds of North Korean well-wishers shouted "Hurrah" from behind.

Also present was leader Kim's sister, Kim Yo-jong.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in (left) and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un embrace at Pyongyang's Sunan International Airport, in this image from live television coverage shown at the press center in Seoul, Sept. 18, 2018. (Yonhap)

South Korean President Moon Jae-in (left) and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un embrace at Pyongyang's Sunan International Airport, in this image from live television coverage shown at the press center in Seoul, Sept. 18, 2018. (Yonhap)

The two leaders exchanged greetings with senior officials from each side. The North Korean officials included the country's No. 2 leader and ceremonial head of state Kim Yong-nam; Choe Ryong-hae, vice chairman of the North's ruling party; Ri Su-yong, vice chairman of the Central Committee of North Korea's ruling party and Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho.

The two leaders walked past the North's honor guard comprising the army, the navy and the air force and went up to an elevated stand. They then reviewed members of the honor guard holding bayonet-tipped rifles goose-stepping past the stand in neat columns.

North Korean citizens, women in colorful traditional "hanbok" dresses and men in dark suits, went wild as Moon and the North's leader walked past them on the way to their cars. At one point, Moon stopped and shook hands with several North Koreans. Before departure, Moon also bowed deeply before the North Koreans.
(END)

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