Koreas declare end to war, denuclerisation of Korean peninsula

• North Korea and South Korea have ended their decades-long war with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in declaring a formal end to the Korean War this year.
• After an historic meeting, the two leaders issued a joint declaration that also pledged to pursue the “complete denuclearisation” of the Korean Peninsula.
• Kim Jong-un became the first North Korean leader to cross the border into South Korea since the 1953 cease-fire.
• “The South and the North affirmed their mutual goal of realising a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula through complete denuclearisation," a joint statement released after the talks said.
• The reunion of Korean families separated by the war would also resume, the statement added.
• The two leaders also pledged to push for trilateral talks – involving the United States, or four-way dialogue also involving China – on a peace pact to replace the armistice.
• “The two leaders solemnly declared before the 80 million people of our nation and the entire world that there will be no more war on the Korean Peninsula and a new age of peace has opened,” The declaration signed at the truce village of Panmunjom said.
• The two Koreas agreed to stop all hostilities against each another, and set up a permanent liaison in the North Korean border town of Kaesong.
• They also agreed to a conventional arms reduction pending the removal of military tension. Moon will now travel to Pyongyang for a second summit later.
• Earlier, the pair planted a sapling of a tree that sprouted in 1953, the year the armistice was signed to end the 1950-53 Korean War, according to the South Korean presidential office.
• “The moment Chairman Kim crossed the Military Demarcation Line, Panmunjom became a symbol of peace, not a symbol of division,” Moon had said in televised comments at the start of their meeting at Peace House.
• The two leaders also mutually committed to frequently and earnestly discuss crucial issues regarding Korean people and solidify mutual trust through regular summits and direct telephone calls. 
• They also agreed to make joint efforts to further expand the good move towards the continued development of inter-Korean ties and reunification.
• The US, China and South Korea have maintained that the goal of any talks must be denuclearisation.
• Kim had last month said he would agree to discuss denuclearisation, but wanted a security guarantee in return and the removal of military threats against North Korea.
• That offer prompted US president Donald Trump to agree to meet Kim in person. The meeting is likely to happen in June.
• The Chinese foreign ministry said China applauded the historic steps taken by the leaders of the two Koreas and hopes the meeting will usher in a new chapter of long-standing peace.
• White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said, “We are hopeful that talks will achieve progress toward a future of peace and prosperity for the entire Korean Peninsula”.Source: https://www.domain-b.com/

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