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Smiling and holding hands, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in met at the heavily fortified demilitarized zone between the countries on Friday, pledging to pursue peace after decades of conflict.

Kim became the first North Korean leader since the 1950-53 Korean War to set foot in South Korea after shaking hands with his counterpart over a concrete curb marking the border at the truce village of Panmunjom, Reuters reports.

Scenes of Moon and Kim joking and walking together marked a striking contrast to last year’s barrage of North Korean missile tests and its largest ever nuclear test that led to sweeping international sanctions and fears of a fresh conflict on the Korean peninsula.

After a morning meeting discussing denuclearization, the leaders planted a tree and unveiled a monument engraved with “planting peace and prosperity”. The two then took a short walk along the border before sitting and talking on a wooden boardwalk.

Their dramatic meeting comes weeks before Kim is due to meet U.S. President Donald Trump to discuss denuclearizing the Korean peninsula.

“We are at a starting line today, where a new history of peace, prosperity and inter-Korean relations is being written,” Kim said before the two Korean leaders and top aides began talks.