Two Koreas await long journey from an armistice to a peace treaty
- 6 years ago
The successful inter-Korean summit has led many to hope that the two Koreas can finally sign a peace treaty to formally end the Korean War.
But with other parties involved in the signing of the original Armistice Agreement, signing a peace treaty may be more difficult than it seems.
Kim Mok-yeon reports.
At the 2018 inter-Korean summit last month, South Korean President Moon Jae-in and his North Korean counterpart Kim Jong-un declared to the world that there will be no more war on the Korean Peninsula, reaffirming their willingness to head towards a new era of peace.
In the Panmunjom declaration, the two leaders vowed to officially declare the end of the Korean War by the end of this year and work to replace the current 65-year-long armistice with a peace treaty.
However, this needs not just the approval of the two Koreas, but also of the other parties involved in the original armistice agreement.
In 1953, the Korean War had been temporarily halted with an armistice agreement, which was signed by representatives from the U.S.-led United Nations command, China and North Korea. But it wasn't signed by a representative from South Korea, as then-President Rhee Syng-man opposed the idea.
As so, the two Koreas need the approval of the other two signatories in order to sign a peace treaty which signals the beginning of exchanges and cooperation in various sectors.
Many experts expect the process to first begin with a declaration of the end of the war between the two Koreas, which will be followed by the participation of the U.S., and finally the signing of the peace treaty together with the U.S. and China.
With a long journey awaiting the two neighbors, it seems like the key to achieving prosperity and peace on the peninsula will depend on how the signatories judge the North Korean leader's words, especially on his willingness to denuclearize.
Kim Mok-yeon, Arirang News.
But with other parties involved in the signing of the original Armistice Agreement, signing a peace treaty may be more difficult than it seems.
Kim Mok-yeon reports.
At the 2018 inter-Korean summit last month, South Korean President Moon Jae-in and his North Korean counterpart Kim Jong-un declared to the world that there will be no more war on the Korean Peninsula, reaffirming their willingness to head towards a new era of peace.
In the Panmunjom declaration, the two leaders vowed to officially declare the end of the Korean War by the end of this year and work to replace the current 65-year-long armistice with a peace treaty.
However, this needs not just the approval of the two Koreas, but also of the other parties involved in the original armistice agreement.
In 1953, the Korean War had been temporarily halted with an armistice agreement, which was signed by representatives from the U.S.-led United Nations command, China and North Korea. But it wasn't signed by a representative from South Korea, as then-President Rhee Syng-man opposed the idea.
As so, the two Koreas need the approval of the other two signatories in order to sign a peace treaty which signals the beginning of exchanges and cooperation in various sectors.
Many experts expect the process to first begin with a declaration of the end of the war between the two Koreas, which will be followed by the participation of the U.S., and finally the signing of the peace treaty together with the U.S. and China.
With a long journey awaiting the two neighbors, it seems like the key to achieving prosperity and peace on the peninsula will depend on how the signatories judge the North Korean leader's words, especially on his willingness to denuclearize.
Kim Mok-yeon, Arirang News.