GOYANG, South Korea (AP) ?

With a single step over a weathered, cracked slab of

concrete, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un made history Friday by crossing over the
world�fs most heavily armed border to greet his rival, South Korean President Moon
Jae-in, for talks on North Korea�fs nuclear weapons. Kim then invited Moon to cross
briefly north with him before they returned to the southern side.

Those small steps must be seen in the context of the last year ? when the United
States, its ally South Korea and the North seemed at times to be on the verge of
nuclear war as the North unleashed a torrent of weapons tests ? but also in light
of the long, destructive history of the rival Koreas, who fought one of the 20th
century�fs bloodiest conflicts and even today occupy a divided peninsula that�fs
still technically in a state of war.

It was all smiles Friday as Moon grasped Kim�fs hand and led him along an
blindingly red carpet into South Korean territory, where school children placed
flowers around their necks and an honor guard stood at attention for inspection.

Beyond the surface, however, it�fs still not clear whether the leaders can make any
progress in closed-door talks on the nuclear issue, which has bedeviled U.S. and
South Korean officials for decades. North Korea�fs nuclear and missile tests last
year likely put it on the threshold of becoming a legitimate nuclear power. North
Korea claims it has already risen to that level.

Kim�fs news agency said that the leader would �gopen-heartedly�h discuss with Moon
�gall the issues arising in improving inter-Korean relations and achieving peace,
prosperity and reunification of the Korean peninsula�h in a �ghistoric�h summit.
It�fs the first time one of the ruling Kim leaders has crossed over to the southern
side of the Demilitarized Zone since the Korean War ended in 1953.