North and South Korea leaders stand on peak of 'sacred' volcano to mark final day of summit

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in have concluded a three-day peace summit by clasping hands on top of a volcano considered sacred in North Korea.

Flanked by their wives, the two leaders posed hand-in-hand in front of the crater lake on Mount Paektu after the two countries forged a wide-ranging set of agreements, sealed with a 17-page accord to "cease all hostile acts against each other."

The final photo-op on Mount Paektu holds special significance as the volcano features in Korean mythology, and is mentioned in South Korea's national anthem and North Korean propaganda.

It comes after Mr Moon made history by speaking at the Mass Games in Pyongyang on Wednesday as part of the summit, becoming the first South Korean president to address the North Korean public.

Mr Moon appealed for peace in the speech, saying: "I propose that we should completely end the past 70 years of hostility and take a big stride of peace to become one again."

The two leaders appear to have agreed on an ambitious programme to tackle soaring tensions last year that raised fears of war as the North tested a string of increasingly powerful weapons.

In the new accord, Mr Kim promised to accept "international experts" to monitor the closure of a key missile test site and launch pad.

He also vowed to visit Seoul soon, while both leaders pledged to build more road and rail links between the North and South and launch a joint bid for the Summer Olympics in 2032.

This week's summit comes as Mr Moon falls under increasing pressure from the US to find a path forward in efforts to get Kim to completely abandon his nuclear arsenal.

But pundits have noted that North Korea placed a condition on the key issue of interest, its long-range precision missile programme.

Mr Kim stated that he would permanently dismantle North Korea's main nuclear facility only if the United States takes unspecified corresponding measures.

The joint statement by the two countries also appeared to lack some key steps Washington has been looking for, such as a commitment by Mr Kim to provide a list of North Korea's nuclear facilities or a concrete step-by-step timeline for closing them down

US president Donald Trump however told reporters Wednesday that the outcome of the summit was "very good news" and that "we're making tremendous progress" with North Korea.

He didn't indicate in the brief remarks whether the US would be willing to take further steps to encourage North Korea's denuclearisation.

Declaring they had made a major step towards peace, Moon and Kim made a show of unity on Wednesday as they announced their agreement.

"We have agreed to make the Korean Peninsula a land of peace that is free from nuclear weapons and nuclear threat," said Mr Kim.

"The road to our future will not always be smooth and we may face challenges and trials we can't anticipate.

"But we aren't afraid of headwinds because our strength will grow as we overcome each trial based on the strength of our nation."

Mr Trump has maintained that he and Kim have a solid relationship, and both leaders have expressed interest in a follow-up summit to their meeting in June in Singapore.