North Korea says hope is alive for peace, summit with South

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SEOUL — North Korea is prepared to think about one other summit with South Korea if mutual respect between the neighbors might be assured, state information company KCNA mentioned on Saturday, citing Kim Yo Jong, the sister of the North’s chief Kim Jong Un.

South Korea welcomed the prospect on Sunday, with the Unification Ministry saying it anticipated to swiftly interact in talks with Pyongyang, whereas urging the necessity to restore a hotline hyperlink between the 2.

Kim’s remark got here after the North urged the USA and South Korea final week to desert what it known as their hostile coverage and double requirements in direction of it, if formal talks are to be held on ending the 1950-53 Korean Battle.

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North Korea’s pursuit of nuclear weapons has sophisticated the query of a proper finish to the battle, which halted with an armistice, relatively than a peace treaty, leaving U.S.-led U.N. forces technically nonetheless at battle with the North.

“I believe that solely when impartiality and the angle of respecting one another are maintained, can there be easy understanding between the north and the south,” mentioned Kim Yo Jong, who’s a strong confidante of her brother.

Constructive discussions supply an opportunity for options on points comparable to “the re-establishment of the north-south joint liaison workplace and the north-south summit, to say nothing of the well timed declaration of the numerous termination of the battle,” Kim mentioned.

Talking on Tuesday to the U.N. Basic Meeting, South Korean President Moon Jae-in had repeated a name for a proper finish to the battle, however later mentioned time was working out for such progress earlier than his time period ends in Could.

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North Korea has sought an finish to the battle for many years, however the USA has been reluctant to agree, except it provides up nuclear weapons.

In Saturday’s remarks, Kim mentioned she famous with curiosity the extreme dialogue within the South over the renewed prospect of a proper declaration.

“I felt that the ambiance of the South Korean public wanting to get well the inter-Korean relations from a impasse and obtain peaceable stability as quickly as potential is irresistibly robust,” she mentioned. “We, too, have the identical want.”

On Sunday, responding to the remarks, Seoul’s unification ministry mentioned in an announcement, “For these discussions, the inter-Korean communication line should first be restored swiftly, as easy and steady communication is essential.”

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The hotline, maintained by South Korea’s army to deal with relations with Pyongyang, has not operated since August, as North Korea stopped answering calls.

Talks with the USA have been stalled since 2019, when expectations had grown for a declaration on ending the battle, even when not an precise treaty, forward of a historic summit of former U.S. President Donald Trump and Kim Jung Un in Singapore.

However that risk, and the momentum the leaders generated over three conferences, got here to nothing.

In his personal U.N. speech, U.S. President Joe Biden mentioned he wished “sustained diplomacy” https://www.reuters.com/world/un-biden-will-try-move-past-afghanistan-with-climate-china-focus-2021-09-21 to resolve the disaster over North Korea’s nuclear and missile applications.

North Korea has rejected U.S. overtures on dialog and the pinnacle of the U.N. atomic watchdog mentioned this week its nuclear program was going “full steam forward.”

(Reporting by Heekyong Yang and Cynthia Kim; Enhancing by Jack Kim and Clarence Fernandez)