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Korean leaders in historic talks

North Korea's reclusive leader Kim Jong-il has welcomed South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun to Pyongyang for a historic summit.

Live television footage showed the two men shaking hands ahead of three days of talks in the North Korean capital.

The summit between the two leaders is only the second such meeting in more than 50 years since the Korean war.

President Roh said he was aiming for a "peace settlement together with economic development".

The 1950-53 war between the two sides has never formally ended, but Seoul has promoted hopes for a permanent truce.

It says this summit may pave the way for that historic step.