[Joint Press Corps.]
SEOUL -- "I never thought to see this kind of scenery in my life!," Jung Gyu-min, a 35-year-old businessman in Seoul, said after watching the live broadcast of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un shaking hands with South Korean President Moon Jae-in in the truce village of Panmunjom.
Like many other South Koreans who expressed optimism over the summit that focused on denuclearization and peace, Jung was so touched to watch the historic moment. "That was so surreal to watch Kim Jong-un walk across the border and stand next to President Moon Jae-in."
"I think it would be a big success if the two leaders agree on denuclearization. Things will go alright this time," Kang Yong-hwan, a 71-year-old Seoul citizen, said.
Lee Shin-ja, a 73-year-old housewife, was able to shake hands with Moon when he stepped out of his sedan to talk with supporters waving flags outside the presidential office. "It will be so nice if they clear the nuclear problem. I just shook hands with President Moon. I told him to do well," she said.
Public hopes and expectations ran high among thousands of people who gathered in central Seoul and waved flags to see off Moon n a presidential convoy. Roars of claps and cheers burst out as the convoy passed by.
Company owners who operated their business in Kaesong Industrial Complex, an inter-Korean industrial zone, expressed their hopes. Kaesong Industrial Complex was shut down by the South Korean government in early 2016 in an attempt to cut off Pyongyang's remaining source of hard currency, accusing the nuclear-armed country of stepping up nuclear and missile programs despite repeated warnings from the international community.
"If the two leaders agree on restarting factories in the Kaesong complex, their operation can be normalized as soon as two months," Shin Han-yong, the head of an emergency committee of business owners in Kaeseong, said.
"It is possible that we could suffer problems with the operation of factory machines including water and electricity supply but we can have them normalized in two months. We will not sleep to solve the problem if needed," Shin expressed the business owners' willingness to return to the industrial complex.
Some people were skeptical about Pyongyang's intentions, citing a track record of reneging agreements reached in previous summits. NoinApple, a YouTuber, said: "The North still has to talk with the US until it can decide on anything. This is just a political show."
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com
