North and South Korea have agreed in principle to officially declare an end to their seven-decades long war, according to South Korean President, Moon Jae.
Said war actually ended in armistice in 1953, technically meaning the war was still ongoing as no peace treaty was declared.
Ending the war, should all parties (the U.S, China and both the Koreas) agree, would essentially mean a formality to the war’s end and promise further peace alignments in the Korean peninsula, especially regarding the arms race in the Korean surrounds as Forbes elaborates.
It largely comes in connection to Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons programme, as formal peace talks with the Koreas cooperating in a more peaceful way would stand them in good stead in strengthened negations with Pyongyang.
However, the keyword here is the principle, and there are some factors inhibiting the actuality of the agreement, including what some North Koreans have called America’s ‘hostility’ and others have termed the U.S simply wanting North Korea to reply to its entreaties as Politco expresses. A further stake is whether North Korea will go back on promises, as many officials from North Korea had previously rejected Moon’s proposal for an official declaration of the wars’ end.
Further, China’s place in the mix is slightly frustrated considering US relations. China is currently facing mass criticism over human rights issues, so much so that the Beijing Winter Olympics are set to be boycotted by various other states including the US.
However, for the time being, Moon’s official announcement of the principle agreement seems promising – at least to Moon. In terms of the actual benefits of the official end to the war, analysts are divided. Some say that it is an unnecessary condition to North Korea, while others insist it is a trust-building measure that could be tension relieving on the Korean peninsula.
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Picture: Jeon Heon-Kyun/AFP
