🇰🇷🇰🇵🇨🇳🇺🇸 South Korean President Moon Jae-in said on Monday that the United States, China, North Korea and the Republic of Korea "in principle" agree to declare an official end to the 1950-53 Korean War, BBC News reported.
— The RAGE X (@theragex) December 13, 2021
There’s been no formal treaty ending the 1950-53 Korean War. So South and North Korea are still technically at war, backed by the U.S. and China, respectively.
If this treaty is signed, North Korea could receive a guarantee that is will not be invaded and that all U.S-South Korean military exercises will be scrapped in the future.
It could be a major win for North Korea’s leader, whose ongoing brinksmanship has been designed to win such concessions from the West and secure its place as a regional power well into the 21st century.
Korean War to be ended ‘in principle’:
The North and South Korea along with the US and China have agreed in principle to declare end to the Korean War.
South Korea President Moon Jae-in gave the declaration adding that the talks have yet to begin because of the North Korea’s demand, reports BBC.
North Korea consistently objects to the presence of US troops in South Korea; the joint military drills held every year between US and South Korea; as well as US-led sanctions against North Korea’s weapons programme.
But the US has repeatedly said that North Korea must first abandon its nuclear weapons before any sanctions can be lifted.
On Monday, Mr Moon said that North Korea was continuing to make this demand as a pre-condition to discussions.
“Because of that, we are not able to sit down for a discussion or negotiation on the declaration… we hope the talks will be initiated,” he said.
www.tbsnews.net/world/korean-war-be-ended-principle-342793
S. Korea’s intel chief says U.S. vaccine support to N.K. could help revive nuclear talks:
SEOUL, Dec. 13 (Yonhap) — South Korea’s intelligence chief said Monday Washington’s possible proposal to provide COVID-19 vaccines to Pyongyang could serve as momentum to bring it back to long-stalled nuclear negotiations.
Park Jie-won, the head of the National Intelligence Service, said holding a meeting itself with North Koreans, let alone a dialogue with them, is difficult amid Pyongyang’s strict border controls to stave off the coronavirus but the North cannot indefinitely keep its border closed.
“I believe that if the U.S. rather more audaciously proposes providing its vaccines, momentum could be created to bring North Korea back to talks,” he said during a forum in Seoul.
North Korea has imposed a strict border lockdown since last year and claims to be coronavirus-free.
On Monday, President Moon Jae-in said the U.S., China and North Korea consent “in principle” to the declaration and vowed efforts for an early resumption of dialogue.
en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20211213003651325
AC