South Korea’s call to declare a proper end to the Korean War is premature as there’s no guarantee it might cause the withdrawal of the “U.S. hostile policy” toward Pyongyang, North Korea state media KCNA reported on Friday, citing Vice secretary of state Ri Thae Song.
South Korea President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday repeated a involve a proper end to the Korean War in an address to the U.N. General Assembly and proposed that the 2 Koreas with the US, or with the US and China, make such a declaration. read more
The two Koreas are still technically at war after their 1950-1953 conflict led to a ceasefire instead of a peace.
“Nothing will change as long because the political circumstances around the DPRK remain unchanged and therefore the U.S. hostile policy isn’t shifted, although the termination of the war is said many times,” Ri said on KCNA, using North Korea’s official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
“The U.S. withdrawal of its double standards and hostile policy is that the top priority in stabilizing things of Korea and ensuring peace thereon .”
On Friday, Moon said he was confident that Pyongyang will realize it’s in its interest to return to dialogue with Washington, but not certain that moment will come during his term, which ends in 2022. Moon was chatting with reporters aboard South Korea’s presidential jet as he flew back to Seoul the US after addressing the U.N. General Assembly.
“It seems that North Korea remains weighing options while keeping the door open for talks since it’s only raising tension at a coffee level, only enough for the U.S. to not break off all contact.”
On Tuesday, U.S. President Joe Biden addressed the U.N. assembly and said the US wants “sustained diplomacy” to resolve the crisis surrounding North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs.
North Korea has rejected U.S. overtures to interact in dialogue and therefore the head of the U.N. atomic watchdog said in the week that Pyongyang’s nuclear program goes “full steam ahead.”
North Korea and South Korea test-fired ballistic missiles last week, the newest volley in a race during which both nations have developed increasingly sophisticated weapons amid fruitless efforts to start out talks to defuse tensions.
