North Korea will close nuclear facility, if US declares end-of-war: South Korean FM
On Wednesday, October 3, Foreign Minister of South Korea, Kang Kyung-wha said that North Korea can permanently dismantle its major nuclear facilities, if US declares the end of war on the Korean peninsula and stops the demands.
During a discussion at South Korean mission to the United Nations, South Korean foreign minister Kang said in an interview with the Washington Post, “what North Korea has indicated is they will permanently dismantle their nuclear facilities in Yongbyon, which is a very big part of their nuclear program. If they do that in return for America’s corresponding measures, such as the end of war declaration, I think that’s a huge step forward for denuclearization”.
As per the newspaper, National Security Advisor John Bolton and people close to Bolton may not accept the suggestion of declaring the end of war on the peninsula as they fear that this may give North Korea and China justification to demand the removal of US forces from South Korea that hosts 28,000 US troops.
The US President and North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un met during a summit in Singapore on June 12, regarding the denuclearization of Korean peninsula but no significant outcome could be seen since then.
The United States is not ready to provide relief in economic sanctions on North Korea until complete denuclearization of North Korea, whereas North Korea conveyed during United Nations General Assembly in New York that denuclearization of North Korea is not possible unilaterally and US has to build trust for that.
North Korean leader’s remarks came days before the visit of US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to North Korea to arrange the second summit between the US President Trump and DPRK chairman Kim.
North Korea offered to shut down the Yongbyon nuclear facility when South Korean President Moon Jae-In met with Chairman Kim Jong-Un during his visit to Pyongyang last month.
Both Koreans are technically at war after 1950-53 Korean War that ended in a cease fire and not as a peace treaty.