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Foreign Minister Song Min-soon on Sunday said any meeting of the parties to the Korean War to declare the war formally over after more than 50 years ¡°is contingent on the denuclearization process¡± in North Korea. Commenting on a reference in last week¡¯s inter-Korean declaration to ¡°having the leaders of the three or four parties directly concerned convene on the Peninsula and declare an end to the war¡± before leaving Incheon International Airport on a Europe trip, Song said, "A declaration to end the war can be made at the end of peace talks, or such a declaration itself can mark the beginning of talks on a peace formula."
Asked if the expression ¡°declare an end to the war¡± in the declaration that ended last week¡¯s inter-Korean summit meant the beginning of talks on a peace framework to replace the armistice," Song said, "You can say that if it materializes in the near future." In other words, any summit of the parties to the Korean War would likely mark the beginning of talks on ending the war rather than an immediate declaration of peqace.
Presidential spokesman Cheon Ho-seon separately hinted it was unlikely such a summit would happen during President Roh Moo-hyun's term. "We will not modulate the speed mindful of the presidential term,¡± Cheon said. ¡°Nobody can definitely say such a thing will happen during his term or not."
He said the matter requires consent from the signatories to the armistice - the U.S. and China- and preparation. ¡°We're going to pursue it while listening to Chinese views," he said. Asked whether that can happen before Roh¡¯s term expires in February, he said, "We still have to grasp the atmosphere of, or listen to, the parties concerned. It's hard to give even any hint in this regard." Chinese diplomatic sources said there can be no declaration of an end to the war without Beijing¡¯s participation.
Meanwhile, the North Korean press reported that the U.S. will strike the North from the list of state sponsors of terrorism and lift the Trade with Hostile Nations Act for it by the end of the year. However, this is not specified in so many words in the agreement reached in the last round of six-nation nuclear talks that was released last Wednesday.
The state-run Korean Central News Agency, reported in return for North Korea disabling its nuclear facilities by the end of 2007, ¡°the U.S. has agreed to strike our country from its list of state sponsors of terrorism and end its application of the Trade with Hostile Nations Act." The U.S. ¡°also agreed to give us an economic reward equivalent to 1 million tons of heavy fuel oil¡± by year's end.
The six-party agreement does not specify the timing of North Korea being removed from list of state sponsors of terrorism or of the heavy oil aid, saying only that North Korea will declare its nuclear programs and disable the facilities by Dec. 31.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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