President Moon Jae-in, right, shakes hands with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, after Kim crossed Military Demarcation Line (MDL) for the April 27 inter-Korean summit on the South Korean side of the Panunjeom truce village. Yonhap

By Oh Young-jin, Jung Da-min

Simple handshakes tell a tale of hope and disappointment.

The first was between President Kim Dae-jung and North Korean leader Kim Jong-il in June 2000. It was supposed to be a new start between the two antagonistic brother nations. In hindsight, it came too early to come to fruition.

It took nearly 10 years to have the second ― between Kim and President Roh Moo-hyun in October 2007. It was too late in Roh's presidency, only two months before the presidential election in which the conservative Lee Myung-bak was elected.

The third one took another 10 years ― between President Moon Jae-in, chief of staff of the late former President Roh, and Kim Jong-un, son of the late Kim, in April 2018.

But it took only a short time before the two met again the following month.

Now the third Moon-Kim summit is taking place.

Three summits in five months. The first started when a war seemed likely between nuclear-armed North Korea and the U.S., which could not tolerate this. U.S. President Donald Trump more than once appeared to be the fuse waiting to ignite the first nuclear war. Or not.

What does this shortened cycle mean? Is it a new era of inter-Korean cooperation that unites the two Koreas at least on a selective basis? Or will it prove to be a fleeting moment leading to further disillusion?

The first seems more likely, but it remains an open question where it will take the two Koreas in the precarious world order that is in flux with the U.S. and China fighting for hegemony.

This summit may reveal the answer.

2000 inter-Korean summit

North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, left, grasps hands with President Kim Dae-jung, as Kim arrives at Pyongyang Sunan International Airport on June 13, 2000, for the first summitbetween the two Koreas. Korea Times file

2007 inter-Korean summit

President Roh Moo-hyun, left, shakes hands with North Korean leader Kim Jong-il at Baekhwawon State Guesthouse in Pyongyang, at the inter-Korean summit from Oct. 2-4, 2007. Yonhap

2018 inter-Korean summit

South Korean first lady Kim Jung-sook shakes hands with North Korean counterpart Ri Sol-ju in front of the Peace House on their first meeting at the April 27 inter-Korean summit on the South Korean side of the Panmunjeom truce village. Korea Times file