President Trump was in Asia for the G-20 recently and as it wrapped up the president made a surprise visit to the demilitarized zone to meet North Korean President Kim Jong Un. During the meeting, President Trump became the first sitting U.S. President to cross over into North Korea.

Trump’s purpose for the meeting is to reach a de-nuclearization agreement with the rogue nation. Trump said progress is being made but he is looking to get it right and speed is not what his administration is focused on.

According to CNBC:

The leaders shook hands on the North Korean side of the DMZ, making Trump the first sitting American president to ever set foot in the hermit state, before crossing together to the South Korean side and shaking hands again.

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Kim said this was “an expression of his willingness” to work toward a new future.

While the two spoke of reconciliation and diplomatic progress, Trump said that U.S. sanctions on the country over its nuclear weapons and missile development programs would stay for now. The leaders agreed to designate a team to work out the details of future negotiations, Trump said, adding that the U.S. team would be headed by Washington’s nuclear envoy Stephen Biegun and that work would begin “over the next two or three weeks.” 

The sticking point between the historical adversaries has long been the issue of denuclearization, a term whose definition the two countries can’t seem to agree on. Washington wants Pyongyang to give up its nuclear weapons, while Kim and his predecessors view the term to mean broader concessions from the U.S., including the removal of its troops from the Korean peninsula. 

President Trump made the announcement that he was traveling to the DMZ to meet Kim just hours prior. This short notice making the historic meeting even more impressive.