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Peace Treaty Imminent If N.Korea Dismantles Nukes

Posted September. 08, 2007 06:55,   

한국어

On September 7, U.S. President George W. Bush signaled his willingness to sign a peace treaty with North Korea by saying, “If North Korean leader Kim Jong Il verifiably ends its nuclear weapons program, the United States will formally end the Korean War.”

In a press conference after his summit meeting with South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun in Sydney, Australia, President Bush said, “If the North Korean leader fully declares and dismantles the nuclear program, many changes would follow. A new peace regime will be established in Northeast Asia.”

In particular, the two leaders agreed that during the upcoming inter-Korean summit talks in Pyongyang from October 2 to 4, President Roh would deliver to North Korean leader Kim Jong Il the message that, “If North Korea faithfully implements denuclearization in a verifiable manner, President Bush will sign a peace treaty together with North Korean leader Kim, ending the Korean War.”

President Bush said in the summit talks, “Our goal is to sign a peace agreement with North Korean leader Kim Jong Il to end the Korean War.” And according to Baek Jong-cheon, Chief Presidential Secretary for Unification, Foreign and Security Policy, President Bush asked President Roh to deliver the message to the North Korean leader that, “Now we should and could end the war.”

Presidential spokesman Cheon Ho-seon also said that Mr. Bush repeatedly said, “My goal is to end the Korean War through a peace treaty.”

The issue of peace on the Korean Peninsula had been discussed at working level meetings such as the six-party talks. However, this time, the issue was mentioned at a summit level meeting between the two leaders. Given this, talks on peace on the Korean Peninsula seem to be gaining momentum.

Meanwhile, President Bush said in a speech at the APEC summit talks in Sydney, “Let’s make an effort to see the day when the North Korean people enjoy the same freedom as people of free countries enjoy.”

This remark seems to reflect the political situation where the U.S. and North Korea are closing their differences of opinion in the six-party talks. President Bush did not call North Korea a dictatorship nor did he criticize Kim Jong Il.



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