Rajnath Singh visits site where North and South Korean chiefs planted tree

Seoul: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday visited the historic site where leaders of the two Korean nations had planted a commemorative tree back in April on the border dividing their countries as an expression of their desire for peace.

"Visited the historic site where South Korean President Mr. Moon Jae-in and the North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attended tree planting ceremony during the inter-Korean summit at Panmunjom on April 27, 2018," Singh wrote on Twitter.

The April summit had marked the first time that a North Korean leader had set foot in the South since the end of the Korean war in 1953.

The visit was high on symbolism and had intended to pave the way for an encounter between Kim and US President Donald Trump.

Earlier in the day, Singh visited the Joint Security Area (JSA), a small neutral camp situated in the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) between North and South Korea.

The JSA is used by the two Korean nations for diplomatic engagements and has witnessed numerous significant events since its establishment in 1953 after the end of the Korean war, including the recent informal meeting between US President Donald Trump and Kim.

Singh deemed the recent efforts by the US and North Korea towards the denuclearisation of the latter as "positive", and added that India has always supported all efforts in bringing about peace and stability on the peninsula.

"We in India have always supported all efforts to bring about peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and its denuclearization through dialogue and diplomacy.

The US-DPRK Summits and the Republic of Korea- DPRK Summits have been positive developments in this regard," Singh wrote on Twitter.

Historically, India had played a much overlooked but significant role at a political and diplomatic level in resolving the Korean war as a non-aligned country.