SEOUL: A peace treaty to formally end the Korean War “must be pursued”, South Korean President Moon Jae-in said Thursday (Apr 19), ahead of a summit next week with Kim Jong Un, leader of the nuclear-armed North. “The armistice that has dragged on for 65 years must come
SEOUL: A peace treaty to formally end the Korean War “must be pursued”, South Korean President Moon Jae-in said Thursday (Apr 19), ahead of a summit next week with Kim Jong Un, leader of the nuclear-armed North.
“The armistice that has dragged on for 65 years must come to an end,” Moon told media company representatives at the presidential Blue House, adding: “The signing of a peace treaty must be pursued after an end to the war is declared.”
The 1950-53 Korean War ended in an armistice rather than a peace treaty, leaving the two sides technically at war, and the Demilitarised Zone between them – where Moon and Kim will meet next Friday – bristles with minefields and fortifications.
But Moon signalled that a treaty would depend on the North giving up its nuclear weapons.
“If the inter-Korean summit or North Korea-US summit lead to denuclearisation,” he said, “I think that it won’t be too difficult to reach practical agreements in the big picture on creating a peace regime, normalising North Korea-US ties, or providing international aid for the improvement of the North Korean economy.
