Kim Jong-un's invitation to meet with South Korean President Moon Jae-in is a major breakthrough in inter-Korean talks.
But previous meetings between the divided Korea's leaders failed to shut down the North's weapons programs.
Almost half a century after the war that divided Korea, South Korean President Kim Dae-jung arrived in Pyongyang to meet with Kim Jong-il, the father of North Korea's current leader, in 2000. The two agreed to a reconciliation pact, but Kim Jong-il took advantage of the agreement by exploiting the South for funding and aid. They never had a second meeting.
Seven years later, President Roh Moo-hyun crossed the DMZ on foot. He signed a peace pledge with Kim Jong-il. But Roh's successor, Lee Myung-bak, advocated a harder stance against the North, and relations became strained once again.
Then in 2011, Kim Jong-il died, leaving power in the hands of his third son, Kim Jong-un. After ramping up nuclear tensions with the Trump administration, the younger Kim has now extended his own offer to meet with a Southern president.
Additional reporting from Newsy affiliate CNN.
