ROK aims to make war-ending declaration in 2018: FM

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The Republic of Korea (ROK) aims to make a war-ending declaration by the end of this year although the exact schedule and format can be dealt with flexibly, the ROK foreign minister said Monday.

Kang Kyung-wha told a press briefing that though the schedule and format can be addressed flexibly, the government aims to push for the declaration of an end to the 1950-53 Korean War by the end of this year.

ROK President Moon Jae-in and leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong Un agreed to turn the current armistice agreement into a peace treaty by the end of 2018 after holding the third inter-Korean summit on April 27.

ROK Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha addresses a joint news conference alongside US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono (not pictured) in Seoul, June 14, 2018. /VCG Photo

Kim and US President Donald Trump agreed to build a lasting peace regime on the Korean Peninsula and establish new bilateral relations at their first summit in Singapore on June 12.

The ROK and DPRK remain technically at war as the Korean War ended with armistice, not a peace treaty.

Kang said the ROK has been closely cooperating with the US side for the war-ending declaration, noting that China can play a "very significant role" in building a peace regime on the Peninsula.

She said the ROK will closely cooperate with China on the issue.

The ROK diplomat had a phone conversation earlier in the day with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

During the phone talks, Pompeo told Kang that he would sit down face-to-face with his DPRK counterpart as early as possible. It indicated Pompeo's willingness to push for dialogue with the DPRK rapidly, Kang said.

People walk past copies of Munhwa Ilbo newspaper, featuring on the front page a photo of US President Donald Trump and DPRK leader Kim Jong Un shaking hands at the DPRK-US Singapore Summit, in Seoul, June 12, 2018. /VCG Photo

Kang said the DPRK-US talks would continue as the two sides held a summit to talk frankly and build trust, noting that it created a virtuous cycle of improved inter-Korean relations which will help enhance DPRK-US relations.

The two Koreas on Monday also discussed forming unified teams for the upcoming Asian Games in Indonesia to extend the burgeoning diplomacy on the Peninsula that took off at the Winter Olympics.

At their historic summit in April, Kim Jong Un and Moon Jae-in had agreed to joint participation in "international sports events such as the 2018 Asian Games".

On the agenda for the meeting Monday are proposals for a joint march and unified team for the Asian Games, said Jeon Choong-ryul, the ROK's chief delegate.

The delegation of the unified Korea team during the closing ceremony of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics, February 25, 2018. /VCG Photo‍

The games will be held in Jakarta and Palembang from August 18 to September 2.

The two Koreas formed their first-ever unified Olympic team – a joint women's ice hockey squad – for the 2018 Winter Games.

Source(s): Xinhua News Agency