Unification minister seeks EU's support for bid for end-of-war declaration

By Choi Soo-hyang

SEOUL, Oct. 12 (Yonhap) -- Unification Minister Lee In-young on Tuesday requested the European Union (EU) members' support for South Korea's push to declare a formal end to the 1950-53 Korean War, his office said.

Lee made the appeal during a visit to a western border hiking trail in Goseong inside the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas with ambassadors from EU member nations, saying the end-of-war declaration could be the starting point for establishing lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula, according to the unification ministry.

"Minister Lee asked for EU nations' continued support and cooperation for resumption of talks with North Korea," the ministry said.

The DMZ, which is about 250 kilometers long and 4 km wide, is one of the world's most heavily fortified borders, with the rival Koreas technically in a state of conflict, as the 1950-53 Korean War ended in a truce, not a peace treaty.

The Goseong trail is one of three hiking routes inside the DMZ, along with those in Paju and Cheorwon.

scaaet@yna.co.kr
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