Talks underway to officially end Korean War

US, NK holding high-level discussions

By Kim Rahn

South and North Korea as well as the United States will discuss signing peace treaties to formally end the 1950-53 Korean War during next week's inter-Korean summit and the following one between Washington and Pyongyang, a senior Cheong Wa Dae official said Wednesday.

The official said Seoul is reviewing with the U.S. the possibility of changing the current armistice agreement into a peace treaty as a means to ensure permanent peace here. The two Koreas remain technically at war as the Korean War ended only with the armistice agreement.

His remark came several hours after U.S. President Donald Trump said the two Koreas are negotiating whether they can end the seven decades of hostilities, and expressed his support for it. The summit between South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is slated for April 27. The meeting between Kim and Trump is expected in late May or early June.

"We are devising and discussing various ways to develop the security situation surrounding the peninsula into a permanent peace regime," the official said on condition of anonymity. "One such way may be changing the armistice agreement to a peace treaty, and we are reviewing the possibility of it."

But he said South Korea alone cannot decide on ending the war as the issue requires close discussion with countries directly involved, including North Korea.

Although the armistice was signed by North Korea, China and the United Nations Command, without South Korea, the official said it is undeniable South Korea is one of the countries directly involved.

"But the two Koreas alone cannot decide on signing a peace treaty, so we may have to seek a three-party or four-party agreement if necessary."

Trump says 'will cancel meeting with Kim Jong-un if unlikely to be fruitful' 2018-04-19 08:04  |  North Korea US troop withdrawal could be put on table 2018-04-18 16:52  |  Politics CIA Director Pompeo met with Kim Jong-un 2018-04-18 13:39  |  North Korea He noted that when Moon's special envoys visited Pyongyang in March, Kim himself said his country would not take military action against the South.

"In the joint declaration to be announced by Moon and Kim after the summit, we want to include an agreement to ban hostilities, although it is not known yet whether we can use the term 'end of the war,'" the official said. "However, we expect to include such an agreement in some form of expression."

While North Korea has said it will give up its nuclear weapons if military threats are removed and the safety of its regime is guaranteed, he said South Korea and the U.S. are reviewing various ways to establish peace on the peninsula. "One of them is about how to relieve Pyongyang's concerns (over regime stability) and how to meet its expectations (for rewards in return for disarmament). We are talking about such things from various angles," he said.

The official added that Seoul, Pyongyang and Washington have the same concept of "denuclearization," referring to concerns that the allies want the removal of North Korea's nuclear arsenal while Pyongyang also wants the removal of U.S. troops from the peninsula and the lifting of the nuclear umbrella from the South.

"But there can be difference in details about how to realize denuclearization. So the countries involved need to discuss them," he said. "But there is no big difference in the main concept, so denuclearization is not a goal that cannot be achieved."

Earlier in the day, Trump mentioned the peace treaty discussion between the two Koreas in a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

"They do have my blessing to discuss the end to the war," Trump said. "People don't realize the Korean War has not ended. It's going on right now. And they are discussing an end to the war. So, subject to a deal, they would certainly have my blessing. And they do have my blessing to discuss that."

He also said Washington and Pyongyang have been in talks for the summit between him and Kim at "extremely high levels."

Several U.S. media have reported that CIA Director Mike Pompeo visited North Korea over Easter weekend, from the end of March to early April, and met with Kim. The visit reportedly came soon after he was nominated as secretary of state.

Several days after the alleged secret visit, the Trump administration confirmed direct contact with Pyongyang and the North's commitment to talks with the U.S. for denuclearization.

The Seoul official said it was inappropriate for South Korea to confirm Pompeo's secret visit, but added Seoul and Washington share all relevant information.