UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres welcomed the meeting between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, particularly the announcement that the two nations will resume working-level dialogue.
Trump stepped onto North Korean soil on Sunday and met Kim in the DMZ, becoming the first sitting US president to cross over the line diving the South and North Koreas. The two leaders agreed to set up teams to resume stalled nuclear talks.
"The Secretary-General welcomes the meetings in Panmunjom involving the leaders of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), the Republic of Korea, and the United States, particularly the announcement that the DPRK and the United States will resume working-level dialogue," said a statement attributable to the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.
The statement added that the UN chief fully supports the continued efforts of the parties to establish new relations towards sustainable peace, security and complete and verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
Trump, who had travelled to Japan for the G20 summit last week, met the North Korean leader for the third time. Their previous meetings at Singapore and Hanoi failed to bring about a breakthrough to end North Korea's nuclear programme which lead to the imposition of heavy sanctions by the UN.
Trump travelled to the demilitarized zone with South Korean President Moon Jae-In and met with troops stationed there before meeting Kim at a marker delineating the border between the two states.
The North Korean leader then invited Trump to cross into his country. Trump accepted his offer and walked over the demarcation line, becoming the only sitting US president to set foot inside North Korea. Trump said he would invite Kim to the White House.
After posing for photos, Trump and Kim held a bilateral meeting at the Freedom House in border town of Panmunjom, South Korea.
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