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South Korea hailed the prospect on Sunday, with the Unification Ministry saying it expected to begin talks with Pyongyang quickly, while calling for the need to re-establish a telephone link between the two.
Kim’s comment came after the North urged the United States and South Korea last week to drop what they called their hostile policies and double standard towards him, if formal talks are to take place. on the end of the Korean War of 1950-1953.
North Korea’s pursuit of nuclear weapons complicated the issue of a formal end to the war, which ended with an armistice rather than a peace treaty, leaving UN forces to be ruled by states. -United still at war with the North.
“I think it is only when impartiality and an attitude of mutual respect are maintained that there can be a good understanding between the north and the south,” said Kim Yo Jong, who is a powerful confidant. of his brother.
Constructive discussions offer a chance to find solutions on issues such as “the reestablishment of the joint north-south liaison office and the north-south summit, not to mention the timely declaration of a meaningful end to the war,” said Kim.
Addressing the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, South Korean President Moon Jae-in reiterated his call for a formal end to the war, but later said time was running out for such progress before the end of his term in May.
North Korea has sought to end the war for decades, but the United States has been reluctant to agree unless it gives up nuclear weapons.
In Saturday’s remarks, Kim said she had noted with interest the intense discussion in the South over the renewed prospect of a formal declaration.
“I felt that the atmosphere of the South Korean public eager to bring inter-Korean relations out of an impasse and achieve peaceful stability as soon as possible is irresistibly strong,” she said. “We too have the same desire.”
In response to the remarks on Sunday, Seoul’s Unification Ministry said in a statement, “For these discussions, the inter-Korean line of communication must first be restored quickly, as smooth and stable communication is important.”
The hotline, maintained by the South Korean military to handle relations with Pyongyang, has not operated since August as North Korea has stopped answering calls.
But that possibility, and the momentum generated by leaders over three meetings, came to naught.
In his own speech to the UN, US President Joe Biden said he wanted “sustained diplomacy” to resolve the crisis over North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs.
North Korea has rejected US overtures to the dialogue, and the head of the UN atomic watchdog said this week its nuclear program was going “full steam ahead.”
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