several years of posturing across the demilitarised zone with south korea resulted in an eventual withdrawal of all us owned nuclear weapons from the southern territories , and after a personal visit to north korea by former american president jimmy carter in june 1994 , an initial declaration was made that north koreas nuclear programme would be halted , and relations between the two koreas reached a new accord in 1997 when president kim dae-jung of the south declared his new diplomatic strategy towards the north , haetpyol chongchaek , his so-called sunshine policy , paving the way for potential reunification .