North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said during Friday’s summit with South Korean President Moon Jae-in that he would close the country’s nuclear test site next month, Moon’s office said Sunday.

“Kim said during the summit… that he would carry out the closing of the nuclear test site in May,” Moon’s spokesman told reporters.

The 28-year-old suspect was detained and the injured children were receiving hospital treatment, the Mizhi County public security bureau in Shaanxi province said on its official social media account.

Seven girls and two boys were killed, the official Xinhua news agency said, citing local police. The ages of the children were not given, but middle schoolers are usually between 12 and 15 years old in China.

The incident took place at around 6:10 pm local time, the department said.

A man surnamed Zhao from Zhaojiashan village in Mizhi County was arrested, the public security bureau said.

The suspect confessed that he had been “bullied” when he attended the same Number Three Middle School when he was a child, “hated” his classmates and decided to use a “dagger” to kill people on Friday, the bureau said.

A video posted by The Paper, a daily, on video-sharing website Miaopai.com shows two or three bodies lying on the ground in a narrow lane. A person is heard shouting “hurry, call the police!” Police are seen running and later frogmarching a man down the street.

AFP could not immediately verify the authenticity of the video.

Knife attacks are not uncommon in the country.

In February, a knife-wielding man with a personal grudge killed a woman and injured 12 others in a busy Beijing shopping mall — a rare act of violence in the heavily policed capital.

In the southern city of Shenzhen, a man armed with a kitchen knife killed two people and wounded nine others in a supermarket last July.

History of attacks

Attacks have also targeted schoolchildren in the past, forcing authorities to increase security around schools.

In January 2017, a man armed with a kitchen knife stabbed and wounded 11 children at a kindergarten in China’s southern Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.

The previous February a knife-wielding assailant wounded 10 children in Haikou, in the southern island province of Hainan, before committing suicide.

The man had entered the school in the afternoon, claiming that he was there to pick up his son.

The attacks have led to calls for more research into the root causes of such acts.

Violent crime has been on the rise in China in recent decades as the nation’s economy has boomed and the gap between rich and poor has widened rapidly.

Studies have also described a rise in the prevalence of mental disorders, some of them linked to stress as the pace of life becomes faster and support systems wither.

In June last year, a bomb blast that killed eight people and injured dozens outside a kindergarten in Fengxian, eastern China, was blamed on a 22-year-old introvert with health problems who had written the words “death” and “destroy” on the walls of his apartment. Material to make a homemade explosive device was found in the home.

Shaking hands at the Military Demarcation Line

“(You) are coming to the South, when will I be able to visit the North?” Moon asked.

“Let’s step over now,” Kim Jong-un said, leading Moon across the Military Demarcation Line.

Walking to the Peace House escorted by South Korea’s traditional ceremonial guard

“Foreigners like out traditional ceremonial guard. It is a shame that today’s ceremonial guard has been simplified. A much better scene could be displayed (if Kim Jong-un) came to Cheong Wa Dae,” Moon said.

“If the president extends an invitation, (I) will go to Cheong Wa Dae at any time,” Kim said.

During the inspection of the honor guard

“There are those (of his entourage) who return (to the North) after the inspection,” Kim said.

“It would be nice if the South and North’s entourage all take a photograph,” Moon said, leading to an unscheduled photo session.

Viewing the painting of Bukhansan at the Peace House

“What is the technique used for the painting?” Kim asked.

“It is a Western painting created using Eastern techniques,” Moon said.

Viewing Hangeul-inspired art work

(Yonhap)

“This piece uses the letters of Hunminjeongeum created by King Sejong the Great.Here, the word ‘seorosamatdi’ means ‘connected,’ and the word contains the letter ‘mieum.’ The word ‘maenganoni’ means ‘to make.’ The gieuk is expressed differently.This means to make a connection, the mieum in ‘samatdi’ is the mieum of Moon Jae-in, the gieuk of ‘maenganoni’ is the gieuk of Kim Jong-un,” Moon said.

“Attention was paid down to the details,” Kim responded laughing.

“How did you get here?” Moon asked.

“(I) came by car at dawn and passed by Kaesong. You must have set out early in the morning,” Kim said.

“I was only 52 kilometers away, so it took about an hour,” Moon said.

“I heard that you lost sleep early in the morning attending NSC meetings because of us, it must now be a habit to wake up early,” Kim said laughing.

“As the chairman has spoken (about related issues) to the special envoys, I will be able to sleep well from now on,” Moon said.

“I will ensure that the president does not lose sleep early in the morning. Walking the 200 meters, I wondered why it took so long, why it was so difficult. Initially, I thought I would meet you in Pyongyang, but it has turned out better that (we) meet here. Many are watching (the meeting) at a place symbolizing conflict. On the way, I noticed that those who lost their homes (due to the Korean War), North Korean defectors, people of Yeonpyeong island and others who were worried about artillery shells from the North are all watching our meeting with anticipation. I hope that this will be an opportunity to heal the wounds between the South and the North. The demarcation line is not high, and would it not disappear if many people step over it?” Kim said.

“Many people saw me off on my way from Cheong Wa Dae. There is high anticipation about our meeting today. (I) took a photograph with the people of Daeseong-dong.Our shoulders are heavy. Starting at Panmunjeom today, I hope the meetings continue in Pyongyang, Seoul, Jeju and Baekdusan,” Moon said.

Pointing to paintings of Seongsan Ilchulbong (Jeju) and Changbai Waterfall (Baekdusan)

“On the left is a painting of the Changbai Waterfall, and the right is a painting of Jeju’s Seongsan Ilchulbong,” Moon said.

“It seems President Moon knows more about Baekdusan than me,” Kim said.

“I have not been to Baekdusan. But many people visit Baekdusan from China. I wish to visit Baekdusan from the North,” Moon said.

“In truth, a concern for a visit by President Moon is that the lack of transportation (infrastructure) would be an inconvenience. Those who have been to the PyeongChang Olympics say that the high-speed PyeongChang train is good. If (Moon) comes to the North after living in the South, it may be embarrassing. We will make preparations for a comfortable visit,” Kim said.

“If the railroad is connected with the North, both the South and North can use high-speed trains. This is contained in the agreement of June 15, and Oct. 4, but it has not been executed over the past 10 years. It is shameful that the flow (of inter-Korean cooperation) was severed due to changing inter-Korean relations. Chairman Kim’s bold decision has allowed the vein to be reconnected,” Moon said.

“As high as the anticipation, there are skeptical views. Big agreements were made, but not realized for more than 10 years. There is skepticism about whether the results of today’s meeting will be realized. In the short walk, I wondered if it really has taken 11 years. We have run in the past 100 days with what we have not achieved for 11 years. If we move hand-in-hand with solid will, (the situation) cannot become worse than now,” Kim said.

“I wondered if it would be uncomfortable to meet you here, but my mind was eased by the letter and the conversation with the special envoys. Trust and belief in each other is important,” Kim said.

Indicating Kim Yo-jong

“First Vice Director Kim has become a star in the South,” Moon said, causing a laugh and Kim Yo-jong to blush.

“Today’s protagonists are Chairman Kim and I. Past failures will be mirrors in (conducting the talks) well. In the past, agreements were made at the middle or end of administrations, so action was not taken. It has been one year since I began. I hope that the speed of the process from Chairman Kim’s New Year’s speech and today can be maintained,” Moon said.

“The department of First Vice Director Kim Yo-jong came up with the term ‘Manrima speed,’ let us set it as the speed of reunification,” Kim said.

“There is a saying that one must move quickly to avoid falling in when walking on thin ice,” chief of staff Im Jong-seok said.

“Looking at the past, the most important thing is speed,” Moon said.

“Let us meet often. Steel (our) hearts to avoid going back to the starting point. Let us meet the expectations to create a better world. We will do our part,” Kim said.

Referring to the accident involving Chinese tourists in North Korea

“I heard that there was a big accident in the North. I heard that Chairman Kim personally visited the hospital and offered a special train (for the dead and injured),” Moon said.

“(I) have come to end the history of conflict, to resolve issues between us with the president. I have developed a conviction that a good future will come,” Kim said.

“We are in charge of issues of the Korean Peninsula. At the same time we must become a people who go with the world. We should lead, and bring neighboring countries to follow,” Moon said.

All photos courtesy of Cheong Wa Dae if not mentioned otherwise.

Parts of the 10-country region, encompassing about 650 million people, have long struggled with Islamic militancy and the emergence of IS has served as a new rallying point for radicals and re-energised extremist groups.

A deadly gun and suicide-bombing attack in Indonesian capital Jakarta in 2016 was the first IS-claimed assault in the region, while the Philippine city of Marawi was overrun last year by fighters loyal to the jihadists, triggering a months-long battle that killed hundreds.

Fears are also growing that Southeast Asia, which is home to booming economies where a growing number of people are adopting digital technology in their everyday lives, could be increasingly targeted by cyberattackers.

Opening the summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Singapore, Lee warned that IS continues to threaten the region despite their military defeat in Iraq and Syria, while the move towards digitalisation has made countries more vulnerable to cyberattacks.

“Southeast Asia is at peace, but these threats are very real,” he said.

“We need to be resilient to both conventional threats, and also non-conventional threats such as terrorism and cyberattacks.”

The leaders at a working dinner Friday ahead of their formal summit agreed to increase coordination in cybersecurity.

Lee also warned that the open global trading system, which has allowed many of the region’s export-driven economies to flourish, has come under increasing threat due to protectionist policies in major economies.

“The political mood in many countries has shifted against free trade,” he warned.

“In particular, the trade tensions between the US and China are worrying concerns.”

Washington and Beijing have imposed tit-for-tat tariffs on billions of dollars worth of goods which analysts said could escalate into a global trade war and scupper global growth.

Lee said the answer to such rising protectionism is for ASEAN to further push for the deeper integration of their economies and bolster cooperation in other fields.

“Individually, the ASEAN member states will find it hard to make much impact on their own,” Lee said.

“But when we speak in one collective ASEAN voice, we can be effective.”

ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

“The ministers welcome the outcome of the summit, which could enhance inter-Korean relations for the betterment of the Korean peoples,” they said in a statement issued on Friday during a meeting in Singapore.

At their summit on Friday, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in agreed to pursue a permanent peace and complete denuclearisation.

The Asean ministers said they were encouraged by the positive development to work towards reducing tensions and the complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearisation of the divided peninsula, according to the statement.

The situation in the Korean peninsula has been in Asean focus for a long time. North Korea is a member of the Asean Regional Forum, which is the lone channel for Pyongyang to engage with Asean and to consult with other key stakeholders such as the United States, Japan, China and South Korea.

More than 4,000 people have been displaced in Myanmar’s northernmost state of Kachin near the border with China in the last three weeks, Mark Cutts, the head of the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), told AFP late Friday.

The numbers do not include some 15,000 people who have fled since the beginning of the year and upwards of 90,000 residing in IDP (internally displaced persons) camps in both Kachin and Shan states since a ceasefire between the government and the powerful Kachin Independence Army broke down in 2011.

“We have received reports from local organisations saying that there are still many civilians who remain trapped in conflict-affected areas”, Cutts said of the recent clashes.

“Our biggest concern is for the safety of civilians — including pregnant women, the elderly, small children and people with disabilities. We must ensure that these people are protected.”

OCHA has been unable to verify reports that civilians have been killed in the fighting.

In addition to the Rohingya crisis in the western part of mainly Buddhist Myanmar, the country’s conflict-hit north has also played host to clashes involving other ethnic minorities, which rarely make headlines.

Myanmar’s border areas have been unstable since its independence from British colonial rule in 1948, hosting a dizzying array of insurgencies, local militias, and drug-running operations.

Myanmar’s de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi said making peace was her priority when she took office in 2016 after decades of military rule but progress has been slow.

Ethnic armed groups are demanding more autonomy and control from a country in which the Burmese hold major positions of power in politics and the armed forces.

Rights groups say the army has stepped up its campaign in remote areas of Myanmar amid the Rohingya crisis, which has seen some 700,000 people flee to Bangladesh.

The US and the UN have called the military crackdown ethnic cleansing, while Myanmar denies the claims and says it was defending itself against Rohingya insurgents.