By Inter-Korean Summit Press Corps

Details about the schedule for the 2018 Inter-Korean Summit were released on April 26, just one day ahead of the historic meeting.

Chairman Im Jong-seok of the 2018 Inter-Korean Summit Preparation Committee seok said at the Main Press Center at the KINTEX convention center in Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do Province, that, “President Moon Jae-in and Chairman of the State Affairs Commission Kim Jong Un will begin their historic first meeting at the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) at Panmunjeom at around 9:30 a.m. on April 27.”

Kim will walk across the MDL between buildings T2 and T3 that are used as the meeting rooms for the Military Armistice Commission, and President Moon will greet him at the MDL line in front of the Military Armistice Commission meeting room.

The two leaders will then be escorted by a South Korean traditional honor guard to the venue for the official welcoming ceremony. At 9:40 a.m., they will arrive at Panmunjeom Square located between Freedom House and Peace House, where they will inspect the honor guard.

The official welcoming ceremony, including the inspection of the honor guard, will be observed at the square.

After reviewing the honor guard, the two leaders will greet the official delegates of both sides that are accompanying them, which will conclude the welcoming ceremony. Then they will move to the Peace House where the summit will take place.

Chairman Kim will sign the guest book on the first floor of the Peace House and join President Moon in posing for commemorative photos. They will have a chat in the reception room before moving to the conference room on the second floor to start the Inter-Korean Summit at around 10:30 a.m.

After the morning session, the two sides will have separate luncheons and a break time.

In the afternoon, the two leaders will jointly plant a commemorative tree as an expression of their wish for peace and prosperity. A pine tree will be planted and the spot for the tree is right beside a path near the MDL, which Hyundai Group Founder and Chairman Chung Ju-yung (1915-2001) took with a convoy of cattle-filled trucks on a visit to his hometown in North Korea in June 1998.

The age of the particular tree involved dates back to 1953, when the Korean War Armistice Agreement was signed. A mixture of soil from Hallasan and Baekdusan Mountains will be used for the planting, after which the North Korean leader will water the tree with water from the Hangang River and President Moon will pour some water from the Daedonggang River.

Engraved on the stone plaque for the tree will be the phrase “Peace and Prosperity Are Planted,” as well as the signatures of both leaders.

After the tree-planting, the two leaders are scheduled to have a friendly conversation as they walk together to the Footbridge, where a signpost for the MDL stands. The signpost was built over a marsh in the Panmunjeom area to shorten the route taken by the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission, which frequently came to Panmunjeom after the Armistice Agreement was concluded.

“Work to widen and extend the bridge was carried out as part of preparations for the 2018 Inter-Korean Summit, so that the two leaders could walk together right up to the MDL, which is located on the extended part of the Footbridge. This signifies the arrival of peace on the Korean Peninsula and an era of cooperation and prosperity,” said the chairman of the preparation committee.

After the stroll, the leaders will move back toward the Peace House and continue their talks in the afternoon. After the summit, they will sign an agreement and announce it. According to the content of the agreement, where and how it will be announced will be determined.

Starting at around 6:30 p.m., the welcoming dinner will begin in the banquet hall on the third floor, which will be attended by all officials from both sides. At a subsequent farewell ceremony, the two leaders will watch together a video projected onto the facade of the Peace House. The theme of the video is “A New Spring Enjoyed Together” and features a mix of beautiful images and music to represent the past, the present and the future of the Korean Peninsula, against the backdrop of the Peace House.

The list of official delegates from the North has been announced, too.
The delegation consists of nine members: President Kim Yong Nam of the Presidium of the Supreme People’s Assembly, Kim Yong Chol, Choe Hwi and Ri Su Yong, all vice chairmen on the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea, First Vice Department Director Kim Yo Jong of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea, Chief Ri Myong Su of the KPA General Staff, Minister Pak Yong Sik of the People’s Armed Forces of the DPRK, Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho, and, lastly, Chairman Ri Son Gwon of the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Country.

Meanwhile, the South Korean delegation has been confirmed to include Chairman Im Jong-seok of the 2018 Inter-Korean Summit Preparation Committee, National Security Chief Advisor Chung Eui-yong, Chief Suh Hoon of the National Intelligence Service, Minister of Unification Cho Myoung Gyon, Minister of National Defense Song Young-moo, Minister of Foreign Affairs Kang Kyung-wha and Chairman Jeong Kyeongdoo of the ROK Joint Chiefs of Staff.