조명균 "판문점 선언, 과거 합의들보다 제대로 이행될 가능성 높아"
Seoul's government believe the recent inter-Korean agreement differs from previous ones with a high possibility of bringing about necessary changes.
However, according to our Oh Jung-hee, putting a full stop to what some would call the forgotten war, may take longer than the initially set time frame, mainly due to the denuclearization process.
The Panmunjom Declaration is different from previous inter-Korean agreements in that it has a higher possibility of being carried out properly.
That's what South Korea's unification minister Cho Myoung-gyon stressed at a meeting with reporters on Wednesday.
"Above anything else, I see that the different leadership, and the willingness of the related parties to the inter-Korean summit and the North Korea-U.S. summit,... give the agreement a higher chance of success."
He said conditions are now set for a virtuous cycle where the denuclearization process and an improvement in inter-Korean relations can both move forward.
Cho added... that while inter-Korean economic cooperation will proceed after there's progress on denuclearization,... the projects won't be restricted to the two Koreas, but will involve the international community.
According to the authorities, at the summit talks, President Moon Jae-in delivered to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un his economic vision that involves not only the two Koreas but China, Russia... and Southeast Asian countries.
The summit agreement stipulates that South and North Korea will declare a formal end to the Korean War within this year.
The matter of signing a peace treaty, Minister Cho says,... is likely to come at the very last stage... when the denuclearization process is nearly complete.
The unification authorities believe North Korea has a sincere commitment to denuclearization,... as Kim Jong-un has emphasized... there's no need for nuclear weapons if non-aggression and the end of the Korean War are promised.
Oh Jung-hee, Arirang News.
