A peace treaty to formally end the Korean War "must be pursued", South Korean President Moon Jae-in said Thursday, ahead of a summit next week with Kim Jong Un, leader of the nuclear-armed North.
"The armistice that has dragged on for 65 years must come to an end," Moon told media company representatives at the presidential Blue House, adding: "The signing of a peace treaty must be pursued after an end to the war is declared."
The 1950-53 Korean War ended in an armistice rather than a peace treaty, leaving the two sides technically at war, and the Demilitarised Zone between them -- where Moon and Kim will meet next Friday -- bristles with minefields and fortifications.
But Moon signalled that a treaty would depend on the North giving up its nuclear weapons.
"If the inter-Korean summit or North Korea-US summit lead to denuclearisation," he said, "I think that it won't be too difficult to reach practical agreements in the big picture on creating a peace regime, normalising North Korea-US ties, or providing international aid for the improvement of the North Korean economy."
Moon spoke after US President Donald Trump warned that his own much-anticipated summit with Kim would be called off if he did not think it would be "fruitful".
"If I think that it's a meeting that is not going to be fruitful, we're not going to go," Trump said.
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On his second death anniversary, we pay our deepest respect and heartfelt tribute to General Lionel Balagalle, an illustrious son of Sri Lanka, a noble soldier, and an exemplary leader whose vision, dedication, and humility have left an indelible mark on the Sri Lanka Army and our nation.
All passengers departing from Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) will be allowed to check-in 4 hours before their scheduled departure time.
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