According to South Korean officials familiar with the situation, they believe that President Trump and Kim Jong Un may issue a joint statement during this week’s summit declaring an end to the Korean War, which began in 1950.
This is something Kim clearly would want out of the summit, and which
the South Korean government has also urged. The Trump Administration has
expressed some support for the idea, but had previously suggested they
were holding out until total denuclearization.
Interest in ending the generations-long Korean War is a major priority
for North Korea though, and of all the things that Kim could get out of
this summit, that would likely be the most sought after.
Kim has also made clear that his nation’s nuclear arsenal wouldn’t be
needed if the war ended and the US is no longer threatening to attack.
This would be a cost-free concession from the US to keep North Korea’s
denuclearization on track.
Trump, Kim May Declare End to Korean War at Summit
South Korean officials say possibility is open for joint statement
Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.
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