North and South Korea, China, US agree ‘in principle’ to end Korean War — Radio Free Asia

The United States, China and North and South Korea have agreed to officially end the Korean War “in principle” nearly 70 years after the hostilities ended in a stalemate, South Korean President Moon Jae-in told reporters on Monday.

The remarks came during Moon’s four-day visit to Australia, and Moon stated that the four parties had not officially discussed the matter because of North Korea’s objections to so-called “US hostility”.

North Korea has said a prerequisite for the talks will end this hostilities and likely related to sanctions against the Pyongyang nuclear program and Washington’s joint military exercises with the south.

“And for this reason we cannot sit down to negotiate the declarations between South and North Korea and between North Korea and the USA,” said Moon during a press conference in Canberra with the Australian Prime Minister: Scott Morrison.

“We hope that talks will start. We strive for that. “

Moon said ending nearly seven decades of “unstable” ceasefire would improve the chances of making progress in negotiations on North Korea’s nuclear weapons program.

During the same press conference, Moon said Seoul would not join a US-led diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. Australia and the UK, US partners in the UK, Australian and US tripartite partnership (AUKUS), joined the boycott last week.

“We did not receive any recommendations for participation [the boycott] from any country including the US and the Korean government is not considering it, ”Moon said.

“The AUCUS issue must decide Australia as a sovereign country independently, and South Korea respects the decision,” he said, adding that while South Korea intends to work closely with Australia on regional security matters, the Canberra visit had nothing to do with Seoul’s relations with Beijing to do.

“South Korea sees the alliance with the US as a cornerstone of diplomacy and security, but relations with China are also very important economically,” said Moon.

“China’s constructive efforts are required for peace and stability in the Korean peninsula and the denuclearization of North Korea,” he said.

The Seoul Unification Ministry said in a press conference that North Korea had expressed support for an end-of-war declaration and previously agreed, during the 2007 inter-Korean summit and again during the Panmunjom Declaration in 2018, that Moon was party to the side of North Korea’s Kim Jong Un.

“In September General Secretary Kim Jong Un and Deputy Party Leader Kim Yo Jong also expressed their interest in the declaration of the end of the war,” added Ministry spokesman Lee Jong-joo.

“We want to enter into dialogue between related countries and try to resolve disagreements such as the requirements North Korea insists on,” he said.

Meanwhile, South Korea’s opposition People Power Party downplayed Moons’ remarks in a statement.

“In the case of the US, she is clearly against declaring the end of the war, which has nothing to do with denuclearization. Nonetheless, the government of Moon Jae-in is misleading the people, as if the declaration of the end of the war would soon come true, ”the statement reads.

China’s support for an end-of-war declaration is likely to detract from several issues on which Beijing and Washington have different views, RAND Corporation’s Soo Kim told RFA’s Korean Service.

“The two countries disagree on a number of issues, including North Korea’s nuclear weapons and the Kim regime. So China is unlikely to bring good news to the Biden government, ”she said.

“We might also want to ask whether Seoul really takes a middle position” [between China and the U.S]. Boycotting the Olympics may not be an easy decision, but choosing not to boycott the Games has ramifications, ”said Kim.

Seoul’s decision not to boycott the Olympics is understandable, Hudson Institute’s Patrick Cronin told RFA.

“The Winter Olympics is an important issue for the Chinese leadership and participation can reap goodwill without undermining South Korean security,” he said.

“What is less understandable is the reluctance of democratic South Korea to highlight China’s human rights abuses and right-wing enforcement,” said Cronin.

South Korea’s decision not to take action on the Olympics comes as no surprise given its unique geopolitical situation, often referred to as “shrimp caught between whales,” Olivia Schieber of the American Enterprise Institute told RFA.

Relying on China to mediate peace on the Korean peninsula is wrong, Schieber said, adding that Moon hoped an end-of-war statement would help persuade North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons.

“But in reality, North Korea would likely only see the statement as a reason for US forces to leave South Korea and cease joint military exercises between the US and the ROC,” she added.

“Given Moon’s limited time frame to achieve this before the end of his presidency, it is not surprising that he does not want to rock the boat with China,” said Schieber.

A White House spokesman told RFA that Washington was “not coordinating a global campaign” to boycott the Beijing Winter Olympics.

“We consulted with allies and partners and informed them of our decision. I can’t speak for them, but I expect they will make their own decisions, ”the spokesman said.

Translation by Leejin Jun.

https://www.rfa.org/english/news/korea/war-12132021211041.html