North And South Korea declared a “New Era Of Peace”
“We solemnly declare to our 80m Koreans and the world that there will no more war on the Korean peninsula and a new era of peace has begun.”
“It is our urgent historic assignment to put an end to this current abnormal state of ceasefire and establish a peace regime.”
“I felt a flood of emotion as I walked the 200 meters here.”
“I came here with a mindset that we will fire a flare at the starting point of a new history for peace and prosperity. Let’s get everything off our minds out here and get good results.”
Kim Jong-un told Moon Jae-in, as relayed by South Korea’s presidential spokesman Yoon Young-chan.
“Kim Jong-un said that he came here to put an end to the history of conflict, discuss and remove obstacles between us with the South Korean president. He said let’s meet more often and we should be determined not to go back to square one. Kim also said let’s live up to all the expectations and create a better world.”
“The two leaders had a sincere and frank dialogue over the denuclearisation and the establishment of permanent peace of the Korean peninsula and development of inter-Korea ties.”
#BREAKING: North Korean leader Kim Jong-un makes history with a brief walk into South Korea for an ice-breaking #KoreaSummit pic.twitter.com/hsa4IM7O2v
— Jeffs (@jeffs_araujo35) April 27, 2018
After they planted a tree together, Kim told Moon…
“Just like a pine tree, I hope that we can always be green, even in winter time.”
Moon replied…“Yes, it will be like that.”
“Eyes and ears from all over the world are focused on Panmunjom.”
“I feel the weight on our shoulders is heavy.”
The Korean summit has taken everyone by surprise and proven many experts were completely wrong in their nuclear war predictions just 3 months ago.
The anti-Trump “resistance” will be bitterly disappointed at today’s historic outcome.
No Wall, No War, No hate
Today, We are all KOREANS #interkoreansummit #남북정상회담 #KoreaSummit pic.twitter.com/iziTIIEGmW
— JaeKwon Son 손재권 (@gjack) April 27, 2018
Along the way, I've gotten many things wrong. Known and unknown unknowns abound. The capacity to be surprised & questions one's assumptions is a struggle, and the most important one. But blanket skepticism does not guarantee you are getting things right; & fatalism is a dead-end.
— John Delury (@JohnDelury) April 27, 2018
Zerohedge reports…
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean PresidentMoon Jae-in agreed Friday to finally end a seven-decade war this year, and signed a declaration to pursue the “complete denuclearization” of the Korean Peninsula, although they did not announce any concrete steps to dismantle the North’s nuclear programs..
The two leaders embraced after signing the deal during a historic meeting on their shared border, the first time a North Korean leader has set foot on the southern side. They announced plans to formally declare a resolution to the war and replace 1953 armistice that ended open hostilities into a peace treaty by year’s end.
The two agreed to work towards advancing the reunification of the divided nations and further improving inter-Korean relations. In order to reduce tension, the two sides agreed to hold military talks in May and set up a joint liaison office in Kaesong, the border town in the North.
“South and North Korea agreed to actively seek the support and cooperation of the international community for the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula,” according to the statement. It didn’t elaborate on what that would entail.
“The commitment to ‘complete denuclearization’ is ambiguous, and subject to different interpretations,” said Youngshik Bong, a researcher at Yonsei University’s Institute for North Korean Studies in Seoul. “It can be interpreted as North Korea getting rid of all warheads, or North Korean demands on the U.S. military in South Korea.”
They have also agreed to end any hostile activities that can lead to military clashes, including cross-border propaganda broadcasts and leaflet distribution. They will also enable Red Cross talks to discuss reunions of families separated by the Korean war.
Kim on Friday walked across the military demarcation line dividing the two nations with an aim to end decades of conflict on the peninsula, becoming the first North Korean leader to set foot on South Korean soil.
As Bloomberg notes, the agreement follows a rapid thaw of tensions on the peninsula after a flurry of North Korean missile tests and a hydrogen bomb detonation last year. Kim plans to meet U.S. President Donald Trump soon, which would be the first summit between a North Korean leader and a sitting American president.
The question now is whether the commitment will lead to lasting change. Previous agreements have collapsed over inspections, weapons tests and disputes over economic aid.
Much of the agreement mirrors previous deals between North Korea and Moon’s liberal predecessors. It appeared aimed at restoring cooperation that had deteriorated over the past decade.
Kim’s official Korean Central News Agency issued a tersely worded commentary after the announcement urging the U.S. to respond “with sincerity.” “What is needed for the U.S. is to learn how to observe good manners and how to respect the party concerned, not resorting to high-handed practices and arrogance,” the piece said.
Reaction in markets was limited given the South Korean stock market had closed for the week when the deal was announcement landed.
The meeting paves the way for Mr Kim to meet US President Donald Trump later this year.
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