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News > Latin America

North Korea Commits to Denuclearization, Asks for Guarantees

  • South Korean President Moon Jae-in says he sees the possibility of a peace agreement if North Korea denuclearizes.

    South Korean President Moon Jae-in says he sees the possibility of a peace agreement if North Korea denuclearizes. | Photo: Reuters

Published 19 April 2018
Opinion

North Korea has dropped all the threats to push for military removal in South Korea as part of a deal for total denuclearization.

North Korea is committed to “complete denuclearization,” and is withdrawing its request for the United States forces to evacuate South Korea, President Moon Jae-in said in a press meeting Thursday.

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With one week left before the historical bilateral meeting with North Korean President Kim Jong Un, the South Korea’s leader told reporters that their neighbors had dropped all the threats to push for military removal in South Korea as part of a deal for total denuclearization.

“North Korea has expressed willingness to give up its nuclear program without making (a) demand that the (US Forces Korea) ...They have not attached any conditions that the U.S. cannot accept, such as the withdrawal of American troops from South Korea," said Moon said.

"They only talk about ending the hostile policy against North Korea and then guarantee of their security. With that clarification, the US and North Korea have agreed to sit down at the summit," he said.

The North Korean government has made no comment on Moon's statement.

The meeting, which is scheduled to take place on April 27 in the border village of Panmunjom, will be a joint effort by the Korean presidents to improve ties and ease political tensions. The reunion precedes Kim’s meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump which is expected to take place in either May or June.

The existence of a U.S. military in South Korea has been a point of tension with some 28,500 troops stationed in the country since the 1950’s Korean War.

On Wednesday, Trump said that he intends to hold his expectations high and if the Korean-US summit fails to be productive he would leave the meeting.

"So first, the South-North Korean summit must make a good beginning, and the dialogue between the two Koreas likely must continue after we see the results of the North Korea-United States summit," Moon said.

Moon also said he saw the possibility of a peace agreement, or even international aid for the North’s economy, if it denuclearizes.

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