[Yonhap News Photo]
South Korean President Moon Jae-in violated the precedent to visit an American military base and welcome U.S. President Donald Trump at the start of his two-day state visit.
It marked the first time for a South Korean president to greet a visiting foreign leader outside the presidential Blue House where the two leaders were to hold a summit.
U.S. and South Korean government officials and military leaders greeted Trump when his plane landed at a nearby air base in Osan at 12:18 pm (0318 GMT).
Moon received Trump at Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, 65 kilometers (40 miles) south of Seoul, before having a lunch together with American and South Korean soldiers.
"Today is a very historic day because it marks the first time the two presidents of South Korea and the United States have come together to a U.S. military base in South Korea to encourage their troops," Moon was quoted as saying.
The base has been built to house US Army headquarters under a $10 billion project that began in 2003 to relocate American camps from front-line areas and Seoul. It would be the largest U.S. military base abroad. Trump was given a security briefing at the camp before moving to Seoul.
reporter
Lim Chang-won
cwlim34@ajunews.com
