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The Latest: South Korean president leaves for summit

The Latest: South Korean president leaves for summit
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GOYANG, South Korea (AP) - The latest on the summit between the leaders of North Korea and South Korea: (All times local):

8:20 a.m.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in has left Seoul's presidential palace for a high-stakes summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un that will kick off a new round of nuclear negotiations with Pyongyang.

Moon on Friday briefly stepped out of his black limousine and cheerfully shook hands with hundreds of supporters who waved white South Korean flags and raised banners with messages including "Please Achieve Successful Denuclearization."

Hundreds of members of the Korean Veterans Association arrived on buses from different parts of the nation hours earlier to send off Moon's motorcade.

The meeting between Moon and Kim is just the third summit between the rivals since the 1950-53 Korean War.

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7:30 a.m. Friday

North Korea's state media reports that leader Kim Jong Un has left Pyongyang for the North-South summit meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-in.

A report by the North's Korean Central News Agency said Kim would "open-heartedly'''discuss with Moon "all the issues arising in improving inter-Korean relations and achieving peace, prosperity and reunification of the Korean peninsula."

The report called the summit on Friday "historic" and noted that it would be held on the south side of the Demilitarized Zone, a first for Kim.

It also said that after the talks Kim will plant a memorial tree with Moon, make public the results of the talks and attend a dinner hosted by Moon before returning to Pyongyang.

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11 a.m. Thursday

Seoul says North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon-Jae-in will plant a tree together and inspect an honor guard after Kim walks across the border for the leaders' historic summit.

South Korea is releasing some details Thursday ahead of the Koreas' third-ever summit being held on the southern side of the border village of Panmunjom on Friday. The talks are expected to focus on North Korea's nuclear program.

Moon's chief of staff Im Jong-seok says Moon will meet Kim at the border, inspect the honor guard and then start formal talks. Im says the two leaders will also plant a pine tree together on the borderline, using dirt from both countries' mountains and rivers.

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Foster Klug, the AP's bureau chief for South Korea, has covered the Koreas since 2005. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/apklug

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