Government: "No Change in Armistice System Including UN Command Status with Declaration of End of War"

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo In-ho] On the 4th, the government reiterated its position that the Korea Peninsula End-of-War Declaration, being promoted as a measure for engagement with North Korea, does not change the current armistice system, including the status of the United Nations Command (UNC).

Choi Young-sam, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, emphasized at the regular briefing that "the End-of-War Declaration is a political symbolic measure for confidence-building," and "it does not mean a legal or structural change to the current armistice system, including the status of the UNC."

Spokesperson Choi also stated that consultations with the United States regarding the End-of-War Declaration will be "carried out with a sense of urgency" going forward.

South Korea and the United States are currently discussing the promotion of the End-of-War Declaration to end the armistice status of the Korean War as a confidence-building measure toward North Korea.

Some experts believe that if the End-of-War Declaration is adopted, it could negatively affect the current armistice system, including the status of the UNC, which is responsible for managing and implementing the armistice agreement.

There are also concerns that North Korea, which has long advocated for the dissolution of the UNC, might use the End-of-War Declaration as a pretext to renew such demands. North Korea's Ambassador to the United Nations, Kim Song, urged the immediate dissolution of the UNC at the 76th UN General Assembly Fourth Committee on the 27th of last month.

However, the government reportedly holds the position that the UNC was established not by the armistice agreement but based on United Nations Security Council Resolution 84 adopted in July 1950, and thus is unrelated to the End-of-War Declaration.

Meanwhile, when asked about Japan's response to the End-of-War Declaration, Spokesperson Choi replied, "Currently, South Korea and Japan are continuously communicating on this issue."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.