(EDITORIAL from Korea JoongAng Daily on Oct. 28)

Wake up!

The United States expressed its first official response to the Moon Jae-in administration's relentless push for a declaration to end the 1950-53 Korean War. Jake Sullivan, the national security advisor to U.S. President Joe Biden, said, "We may have somewhat different perspectives on the precise sequence or timing or conditions for different steps." The U.S. government has so far stressed the need for cooperation with South Korea on the tricky issue. But Sullivan's comment is quite different from America's previous position because his remarks can translate into a refusal to declare an end to the war unless several conditions are met.

The Moon administration has aggressively pushed for an end-of-war declaration over the past four and half years to no avail. Since Moon once again urged such a declaration in his speech to the UN General Assembly in September, his administration has been hell bent on pushing it. On a trip to Washington on Oct. 12, Suh Hoon, Moon's national security advisor, explained the government's approach to his U.S. counterpart. Amb. Noh Kyu-duk, Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs, made a trip to Washington four days later. He said a "full-fledged working-level consultation" will start soon. Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong plans to ask for Russia's help later this week. But Washington made its position clear that it's not the time to declare an end-of-war declaration now.

Moon's push for a declaration is just a pipe dream. The Moon administraton even says it would be fine to cancel the declaration if the need arose at some time in the future. That does not make sense. Pyongyang continues to reinforce its nuclear armaments and fire missiles any time it wants. Who would believe North Korea's claim that its nuclear bombs and missiles do not target South Korea?

Pyongyang went so far as to demand the United States scrap its hostile policy toward North Korea first to declare an end to the war. The North's demand refers to ending our joint drills with Uncle Sam and withdrawal of the U.S. nuclear umbrella from South Korea. That's the same as dismantling the decades-old alliance. An end-of-war declaration also will affect the maintenance of the United Nations Command on a mission to provide reinforcements to South Korea at times of crisis.

Nevertheless, the Moon administration is absorbed in signing a declaration before its term expires next May. It must stop this foolishness unless North Korea changes. It is utterly irresponsible for an administration to press ahead with a declaration at the end of its term. The government must wake up from its pipe dream before it's too late.
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