No odor left to chance in historic Korean summit

SEOUL – No detail was too small for South Korean planners to host Friday’s historic summit between President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

The summit is scheduled to kick off at 9:30 a.m. local time on the South Korean side of Panmunjom, the joint border village inside the Demilitarized Zone that divides the Korean Peninsula.

The two leaders will meet at the border, and Kim will step across the demarcation line, marking the first time a North Korean leader has entered the South since the Korean War ceased with the signing of an armistice in 1953.

Final rehearsals were held Thursday for everything from where and how the two men will shake hands and which direction to face for photographs to the welcoming ceremony with South Korean honor guards.

Stand-ins for the leaders practiced planting a commemorative pine tree and unveiling a special stone plaque.

The Peace House was renovated for the summit, including a custom-built oval table about 80 inches across. The table is the shape of two bridges merging into one.

Presidential spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom said efforts were made to remove the new-house smell, such as scattering charcoal and onions on the floor and turning on electric fans at full blast.

“The final touches have yet to be made, but the rooms will be ready for the two leaders to meet without a hitch tomorrow,” he said.

Other preparations included removing the gasoline from tanks stationed in Panmunjom as a precautionary move.

Kim’s delegation will include his sister, Kim Yo-jong, who led North Korean officials to the Winter Olympics in February in Pyeongchang as part of a “charm offensive” before this summit. Also attending will be Kim Yong-nam, the North’s nominal head of state, and Kim Yong-chol, previously head of the North’s military intelligence agency.