Lee In-young: "Declaration of the End of War, a Catalyst for South-North-US Dialogue... Positive Message for North Korea as Well"

Minister of Unification Lee In-young and Minister of National Defense Seo Wook, among others, are attending the extraordinary Cabinet meeting held at the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the 11th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] As South Korea and the United States are closely consulting on a declaration to formally end the Korean War, Lee In-young, Minister of Unification, stated on the 17th that the declaration would serve as a catalyst for dialogue among South Korea, North Korea, and the United States, while also sending a positive message to the North.

In his congratulatory speech at the '17th Hankyoreh-Busan International Symposium' held at the Westin Chosun Hotel in Busan that morning, Minister Lee said, "Our government believes that promoting the declaration to formally end the war is a wise solution that acts as a driving force for substantive peace on the Korean Peninsula and simultaneously serves as a catalyst for dialogue among South Korea, North Korea, and the United States."

Minister Lee emphasized, "The declaration to formally end the war can be a useful and practical measure whereby the parties involved lay down their intentions of war and hostility, build mutual trust toward peace, and re-enter dialogue." He added that the declaration could be the gateway and milestone for denuclearization and a peace regime, and it could also send a positive message regarding security guarantees to the North.

Regarding the current situation, Minister Lee assessed, "The uncertainty in the situation that we were concerned about last year has begun to somewhat ease." He forecasted, "Although the North is firing short-range missiles, it is highly likely that nuclear tests, long-range missiles, or so-called ‘strategic provocations’ will not be seen for the time being."

He continued, "The United States is also signaling to the North that it harbors no hostile intentions based on coordinated and practical diplomatic solutions, hinting at the possibility of phased and simultaneous reciprocal measures that go beyond the ‘strategic patience’ of the Obama era."

Minister Lee stated, "We have a historic responsibility to lead the situation on the Korean Peninsula not into a ‘long-term deadlock’ but into a ‘cycle of peace,’ and to demonstrate focus with a more proactive attitude than ever to prepare for a new spring of peace." He added, "I hope that the clock of peace on the Korean Peninsula, which began to move with the 2018 winter PyeongChang Winter Olympics, will move vigorously again before this coming winter and the start of spring 2022."

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