(3rd LD) N. Korean leader welcomes Moon at airport with cheek-to-cheek embrace
(ATTN: UPDATES with quotes in last 4 paras)
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.
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.
The two leaders left the airport in separate cars, but they later rode a roofless limousine together at the entrance of the city center for a car procession through the streets of Pyongyang, which were lined with tens of thousands of people waving paper flowers and flags, and chanting "unification of the fatherland."
At one point, the motorcade stopped and a North Korean woman handed a bouquet of flowers to Moon. Kim's sister took over the flowers, and the two leaders walked along the streets for a while, waving to the cheering crowds.
Moon and Kim were also seen talking to each other from time to time as they walked. They traveled together in the same car to the Paekhwawon State Guesthouse, where Moon and his wife will stay during their trip to Pyongyang.
North Korean workers at the guesthouse presented Moon and first lady Kim with flowers. The North's leader and his wife then escorted Moon and the first lady into the guest house and the four exchanged pleasantries for a while.
"I was overwhelmed so much by the enthusiastic welcome," Moon said.
Kim said the welcome reflects North Korean people's wish that the two sides produce "speedier and bigger outcomes."
"I thought that we should not forget the wishes and expectations of the people of the North and the South and produce bigger outcomes with faster footsteps," Kim said.
Moon also said it's time for the two sides to produce tangible outcomes.
"Now that spring at Panmunjom has been followed up by autumn in Pyongyang, it's time (for our efforts) to come to fruition," Moon said referring to April's first summit with Kim. "Though we're excited, I think we also feel heavy burdens on our shoulders at the same time. However, I believe things will go well as there is trust and friendship between us."
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