South Korea is making progress with the end of the war declaration despite US suspicions

South Korean President Moon Jae-in is moving forward with his desire to announce the end of the Korean War despite months of fruitless negotiations that have revealed divisions between Seoul and Washington.

Moon told the UN General Assembly in September that a declaration of termination of war, which was beaten from 1950 until the signing of the military protection agreement in 1953, “became an integral part of the development of a new system of reconciliation and cooperation on the Korean island”.

But doubts in Washington, Pyongyang and Beijing have dashed her long-awaited political ambitions as a peacemaker, highlighting the complexities of reconciling the four opposing parties’ interests during the 70-year conflict.

North Korea, China and the United States under UN mandate negotiated a three-month peace agreement but failed to do so.

“All Koreans have a longing for peace, development, and unity,” said Moon, whose term expires in May, Monday. “I will continue to strive to establish lasting peace, and I will not give up until the end of my term.”

Go Myong-hyun, director of the Asan Institute of Policy Studies in Seoul, said: “For the month, this is not just about diplomacy. It is also a question of national identity.

Moon’s idea is not of a legally binding peace treaty but a symbolic declaration made by his followers discussion session and Pyongyang.

“The idea represents an effort to resolve tensions, increase trust between the parties and promote the problem of denuclearization in the Korean peninsula,” said Moon Chung-in, a former presidential adviser to Sejong. Institute think-tank.

But some US policymakers are concerned that such a declaration could undermine the legitimacy of Washington’s decades-long military campaign on the island. 28,500 American troops suspended.

“There are concerns in Washington that the declaration of end of war could be a reason for North Korea and China to question the presence of US troops not only on the island but throughout the region,” said Soo Kim, a research analyst. to Rand Corporation think.

Korean officials have said a number of encouraging things in recent weeks. Chung Eui-yong, the foreign minister, said Seoul and Washington “agreed” on the draft, which the Moon said. to Australia last month that military parties agreed with its idea “in principle”.

But skeptics insist that the South Korean government has put a bold face on the issue that it is struggling to overcome.

Jake Sullivan, a US national security adviser, commented on the idea that the US and South Korea “may have different views on specific policies or different times or events”.

Soo Kim added: “Seoul wants a final declaration of war to launch a North Korean initiative to reduce nuclear threats, while Washington wants to see what happens before it rethinks what it wants.

“South Koreans like to answer questions about time and sequence as a small difference but it is very important and there is no sign of closure.”

Although Seoul and Washington were able to resolve their differences, investigators said, there was no indication that North Korea is ready to engage with.

Pyongyang confirms that any progress in the negotiation process depends on Washington’s resignation. “hate policy”North.

“What needs to be addressed is two things, unwise discrimination, bad habits and a hostile attitude of self-justification when we violate our right to self-defense,” said Kim Yo Jong, the sister of the North Korean leader. Kim Jong Un, said in September – the last time a senior member of government had commented.

Go Myong-hyun said The moon is running out of time. “In Pyongyang’s view, what would sign a resolution to end a war if the South Koreans elected an opposition president?”

Monthly plans as well blocked on the breakdown of relations between the US and China. South Korea hopes that the Winter Olympics in Beijing in February will provide an opportunity to push for negotiations that have been resolved by the US. diplomatic boycott about sports.

Some observers say that China would agree a post-war declaration for the same reasons that many in the US object to.

But Lee Sang-soo of the Institute for Security and Development Policy think-tank in Stockholm said Beijing “was wary of any approach that could lead to a compromise between Pyongyang and Washington”.

Lee added that Moon’s views were also criticized by Tokyo. Japan does not take part in the war but is strong against Kim’s rule.

However, for those who are on his side, this idea is very important in ethics such as the distribution of ambassadors.

“The unresolved Korean War is a difficult and disgusting affair for those who fought in the war,” said Jessica Lee, a colleague at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft.

“It’s never too late to do things that are already late,” says Moon Chung-in of the Sejong Institute. “The US does not want ‘endless wars’, but neither do we.”