Above: Flowers of peace will bloom in the shape of the Korean Peninsula on the grass at Seoul Plaza starting on April 13 to celebrate the upcoming Inter-Korean Summit. The photo is a digital image of the flowers that will be planted. (Seoul Metropolitan Government).
The 1950 to 1953 war between North and South Korea ended with a truce and the creation of a demilitarized zone. Now the North and South Korea governments are preparing to announce a permanent end to the Korean War with a peace agreement, the newspaper Munhwa Ilbo reported Tuesday, citing an unnamed South Korean official.
S Korea’s Munhwa Ilbo reports Seoul and Pyongyang plan to announce an end to the military conflict between the two countries at the inter-Korean summit, citing an unidentified diplomatic security official https://t.co/R1c56pCvTh
— Joseph Kim (@josungkim) April 17, 2018
CNBC reports:
Ahead of a summit next week between North Korean premier Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in, lawmakers from the neighboring states were thought to be negotiating the details of a joint statement that could outline an end to the confrontation.
Kim and Moon could also discuss returning the heavily fortified demilitarized zone separating them to its original state, the newspaper said.
The move comes ahead of next week’s summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in.
Moon said Tuesday that the denuclearization of North Korea is the most pressing task facing the South and vowed to establish permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula, according to Yonhap news agency.
The two leaders are set to meet on April 27 at the border village of Panmunjom. Announcing the official end the 65 year old war would be a major breakthrough between the Koreas.
If this is confirmed, this is huge for the Korean Peninsula. North and South Korea are still technically at war and have not signed an official peace treaty, just an armistice agreement https://t.co/Fci1siZYuz
— Joseph Kim (@josungkim) April 17, 2018
HUGE if true. Absolutely earth-shaking. https://t.co/LZEmxrL3hp
— Tim Shorrock (@TimothyS) April 17, 2018
This would be the biggest geopolitcal shift in easily a couple decades. If true would Trump follow suit? https://t.co/u2iEbKDVKi
— Mitch Karnes (@M_Karnes) April 17, 2018
Officially ending the war is one of the three issues the two countries have listed as priorities for their upcoming summit.
“Seoul and Pyongyang have agreed to put three issues at the top of the agenda for the inter-Korean summit. They are: denuclearization of North Korea, establishment of permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula and improvement in inter-Korean ties.” https://t.co/dY1wV6lysh
— Joseph Kim (@josungkim) April 17, 2018
If an agreement is signed between the north and south, it will have implications for the upcoming meeting of the US and North Korea as the armistice was signed by the US, China and North Korea – South Korea’s president, Syngman Rhee, refused to sign. A peace treaty will have an impact on the negotiations between the US and North Korea and push the US into officially ending the Korean War. President Trump has tweeted his support for a peace treaty.
BREAKING: President Trump says Koreas ‘have my blessing’ to discuss ending decades-long war as North, South prepare to meet.
— The Associated Press (@AP) April 17, 2018
So many Americans forget the US is technically at war with #NorthKorea. If the South and North finally end the war, the US will have not choice but to end its longest running conflict & finally turn the armistice into a #peacetreaty #65yearsofwar @afsc_org https://t.co/4mytv9epzv
— Dan Jasper (@DJasper_) April 17, 2018
This is occurring when President Trump is meeting with Japanese President Abe in Florida.
Peas in a pod. pic.twitter.com/wBQZ14oJoY
— Tim Shorrock (@TimothyS) April 17, 2018
President Trump and North Korean President Kim Jong Un are expected to hold talks in late May or June.
