As the leaders of the North and South Koreas are sitting across a table for the first time in decades, there seems to be a sense of hope and purpose on part of the governments and the people with regard to ending the decades-long enmity. Here is a quick look at the history of the Koreas and its largely failed peace efforts.
The Korean peninsula was under Japanese occupation for decades - from 1910 to August 1945 before imperialist Japan was crushed by US nuclear bombs.
The resource-rich peninsula was divided in two along the 38th parallel.
Tensions escalated as the cold war heated up the divided peninsula with the North ascribing to the Communist regime of Soviet Union and China and the South gravitating towards the US.
On June 25, 1950, the tanks of the North rumbled into Seoul and a full blown war erupted.
After initial setbacks, the US and later the multilateral forces from the UN under war hero General Douglas MacArthur, pushed back the forces of the North to reach as far as the Chinese border.
De-escalation was ordered and in 1953, China, the US, and North Korea signed an armistice agreement on July 27, but the South refused, and that is why, even today, the two Koreas are considered to be technically in a state of war.
The Demilitarised Zone, a 260-km long, 4-km wide strip of land was created in the 1953 armistice to serve as a buffer between the South and North.
The never-ending war
Multiple attacks and assassination attempts were carried out by the North on the South Korean leaders.
Kim Jong-un, grandson of Kim-Il sung is the third generation leader from the Kim family. The Kim grandfather was handed over the charge of the northern part of the Korean peninsula by none other than Stalin.
Kim Jong-il, Kim Jong-un's father, tried to improve ties with South Korea and had hosted two inter-Korean summits, in 2000 and 2007.
He also cooperated with the six party peace talks organised by China.
The 2007 summit, coupled with South Korea’s Sunshine Policy, gave great impetus to the peace process.
Kim Jong-il, however, suffered a stroke in 2008, and thereafter, his main mission was to ensure the succession of his son Kim Jong-un.
Kim Jong-un took over in 2011 after his father's death. Aggressive takeover and nuclear weapons programme was pursued by the western educated Kim.
He has carried out four of North Korea’s six nuclear tests, and has tested nearly 90 ballistic missiles, three times more than his father and grandfather combined.
Meanwhile, he has relaxed stringent state control over economic activities, allowing private enterprises to thrive.
Peace talks in 2018
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in met on April 27 at the heavily fortified demilitarised zone between the countries in the first summit for the two Koreas in over a decade.
The two countries expect to release a joint statement late on Friday, possibly called the Panmunjom Declaration, that could address denuclearisation and peace, and an improvement in relations, South Korean officials said.