Venue, menu, and more: The two Koreas ahead of the summit

A historic summit is scheduled between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in for Friday and another possible one between Kim and US President Donald Trump in May or June.

The two Koreas seem to be on their way to defusing at least some of the tensions with the summit. Both have been restrained and upbeat about the meeting in recent days. But while their trajectory looks good, the path of possible rapprochement between Pyongyang and Washington remains unchartered.

Here is a look at some of the latest development just days ahead of the inter-Korean summit:

Late on Tuesday, the North’s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) ran a commentary that angrily slammed a United States recent human rights report as “ridiculous” and “viciously slandering.”

It called the United States the “hotbed” of rights abuses itself.

The US State Department released a controversial report last week, in which it accused America’s political adversaries — including Pyongyang — of violating “the human rights of those within their borders on a daily basis” and of being “forces of instability.”

“This is really ridiculous and reminds one of a thief crying to stop the thief,” the KCNA article said, adding that Washington’s “true aim” was to “create a pretext for political, military, and economic aggression and pressure.”

The development came days before the third-ever inter-Korea summit between a North and South Korean leader — Kim and Moon’s first — at the Peace House on the southern side of Panmunjom Village, also known as truce village, in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), which is one of the few places where South and North Korean soldiers stand face to face without a dividing fence.

Who will attend?

The planned summit will bring Kim to South Korea for the first time as a North Korean leader since the Korean War came to an end almost seven decades ago. It is speculated that Kim will walk across the border via an aisle between the blue pavilions in the middle of Panmunjom that straddles the two sides.

He will be greeted by Moon in front of the border, which is marked only by a cement slab.

The Koreas agreed to allow live television broadcasts for key parts of the summit “from the moment they first shake hands,” according to a statement on the summit website.

The Friday summit will include a welcoming ceremony and a banquet dinner as well as a formal meeting between the two leaders.

The Presidential Blue House said that security measures were especially sensitive as the upcoming summit would be the first of its kind to be held on South Korean soil.

It is not clear if North Korean officials will attend the summit with Kim. But Moon will be accompanied by six senior officials.

Where?

Seoul on Wednesday unveiled pictures of a main meeting room for the summit, which has been prepared on the second floor of the House of Peace on the South Korean side of the truce village of Panmunjom.

The venue, which was originally used for ministerial meetings, has entirely been refurnished for the inter-Korean summit.

There are new walnut chairs to be used by the two leaders’ delegations at the summit, each featuring a map of the unified Korean Peninsula. The chairs also feature disputed islands controlled by Seoul but claimed by Tokyo.

Japan lodges protest over summit dinner

The Blue House also released photographs of the dishes planned for the summit dinner, which show a mango mousse that also displays a stylized map of the peninsula with the disputed islands.

The mango mousse, called “Spring of the People,” features islands known as Takeshima in Japan and Dokdo in South Korea, which lie about halfway between the East Asian neighbors in the Sea of Japan.

In a reaction to the designs, Japan has filed a protest with Seoul, demanding that the mouse not to be served.

“It is extremely regrettable,” a Japanese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said on Wednesday. “We have asked that the dessert not be served.”

What is on the menu?

Steamed square dumplings, charcoal-grilled beef, cold octopus salad, grilled John Dory, Korean-style Swiss potato rosti, and pine mushroom tea are also seen in the menu.

Seoul has also released the menu for the summit, along with detailed descriptions of each course, its source, and inspiration.

Pyongyang’s cold noodle soup, known as Naengmyun, which is the most famous on the Korean Peninsula, will be served for dinner after the historic inter-Korea summit on Friday.

The North is dispatching a top chef, as well as a noodle-making machine, to the summit to prepare freshly made noodles for the guests.

The guests will also be served food from the Korean Peninsula’s far north and south.

At the end of the Korean War in 1953, the two countries agreed to a armistice agreement but not a peace treaty. The two may change that treaty into a peace deal during the summit.

Pope wishes peace

In related news, the head of the Roman Catholic Church emphasized “transparent dialog” between the two Koreas.

Pope Francis urged leaders at the inter-Korean summit to act with courage to foster regional and world peace.

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