The footage that has gone viral, for all the right reasons, is a genuine sign of hope and peace in the Korean peninsula.
The madman, the volatile and unpredictable North Korean leader who has been in power since 2014 had been the subject of many political debates, memes, and cartoons -- who has had the world at his fingertips watching every move he makes, who seemed to have been drunk with nuclear power -- made history on Friday.
It is the good kind of history, in fact, under the current circumstances, this “one small gesture” is probably the most positive news to resonate across all spheres of global politics.
The footage shows Kim Jong-un step over the boundary to South Korea, to greet and shake hands with his Korean counter-part, Moon Jae-In, the South Korean president. Hands shaken, in smiles, the two leaders posed for pictures, and before proceeding further, Kim Jong-un seem to have asked the president to step over the boundary to North Korea.
Moon obliged, both still in smiles, and thus the photo journalists were able to photograph both the leaders shaking hands in both sides of the boundary.
They have declared an end to the Korean War, a war between the two countries that had technically ended in 1953, but was prolonged till 2018 in the form of military stand-offs. This declaration of peace could not have come at a better time.
The formal end to the Korean War has been promised to materialize at the end of this year, and the summit itself is expected to bring about more developments and open doors to “reconciliation, peace, prosperity, and unity.”
A milestone beyond doubt
Analysts may have good reason to doubt the outcome of the summit, as they point out that such gestures and talks between the countries earlier “came to nothing in the end” -- but Friday still remains a historic day.
Even though such talks in the past have failed, a North Korean leader has never walked over to South Korea for a summit before, and that itself is historic
It may even seem preemptive to many to take this small gesture as anything final, but Friday still remains a historic date in global politics.
We may have reason to believe that it is preemptive to be overjoyed with this gesture made by the two Korean leaders and more reason to think that this summit will lead us nowhere, but we cannot deny this “milestone,” we cannot sit by, talk politics, and debate about the world at large, and not fathom the gravity, the sheer weight of Friday.
If you follow the news, even at the slightest, even if it is just on your Facebook newsfeed, through what your Facebook friends share, you have to realize that it has been a truly historic Friday.
I, for one, would not have believed that Kim Jong-un smiled, walked over the border to shake hands with South Korea’s president, and pose for pictures, and make perfectly happy gestures, as though he is meeting an old childhood pal, after years of separation. I would not have believed it if someone told me that this is what happened, unless I saw the footage myself.
Even though such talks in the past have failed, a North Korean leader has never walked over to South Korea for a summit before, and that itself is historic.
The hard questions
The key agreements of the summit which include “an end to hostile activities between the two nations ceasing propaganda broadcasts, organizing a reunion of families left divided by the war, further joint participation in sporting events, including this year’s Asian Games” among others -- have many in the region, especially the Chinese president, overjoyed and eager to see these key agreements come to life.
Families can, at last, reunite. Separated by the war, and left on either side of the border, brothers and cousins can meet again and live together.
Participation in international sporting events under the same banner is another highlight of this summit, which again is an indication that Friday was the start of something great.
Korea, under the same banner, does not only mean a commendable force in sports, but it might as well be a force to be shifting global dynamics. Under the same banner, can we expect another superpower?
Trump and Xi Jinping may seem to take this positively now, but if things go well, if the agreements work out, and if the Korean leaders succeed to keep their promises, then should US and China worry -- not about attack by Korea, of course, but about a new superpower who can give them a run for their money in trade and business?
Beware world, there may be a new kid on the block, as the Korean war officially comes to an end.
Nusmila Lohani is Editorial Assistant at the Dhaka Tribune.