In an unannounced move, South Korea President Moon Jae-in greeted the visiting US President Donald Trump at a US military base in Pyeongtaek, 65 kilometers south of Seoul, the first stop on Trump’s two-day itinerary here, Moon’s office said Tuesday.

The leaders met at Camp Humphreys, a newly expanded US Army garrison located in the rural area of Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province. 

Trump landed at Osan Air Base in S. Korea at 12:18 p.m., beginning his first visit here as president. 

A gesture of hospitality as well as recognition of the US forces’ contribution to the peace on the Korean Peninsula, Moon’s surprise visit was expected to reinforce the two leaders’ strong resolve against North Korea, whose nuclear and missile programs have become a major global security issue.

The two will hold a formal summit meeting later in the day at the presidential palace of Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul, which will be followed by a state dinner.

Trump, on a 12-day, five-nation tour of Asia, is on a state visit here. He will depart for Beijing on Wednesday.

By Yeo Jun-suk (jasonyeo@heraldcorp.com)