U.S. declines comment on Chung's remarks about end of war declaration agreement

By Byun Duk-kun

WASHINGTON, Dec. 29 (Yonhap) -- The United States declined to directly comment on any progress made on a draft for an end to the Korean War declaration professed by the South Korean foreign minister on Wednesday, only saying the U.S. remains committed to dialogue with North Korea.

South Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong on Wednesday (Seoul time) said South Korea and the U.S. have already reached a de facto agreement on the draft of a declaration to formally end the Korean War.

A state department spokesperson offered no direct response when asked if the U.S. agreed with Chung's assessment, only reiterating U.S. commitment to diplomacy.

"The United States remains committed to achieving lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula through dialogue and diplomacy with the DPRK," the department official told Yonhap News Agency in an email, referring to the North by its official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

"To this end, we will continue to seek engagement with the DPRK as part of a calibrated, practical approach in order to make tangible progress that increases the security of the United States, our allies, and our deployed forces," the official added.

The remarks are a repeat of what the U.S. has frequently said ever since, and even before, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan hinted at possible differences between Seoul and Washington over when an end of war declaration could or should be made.

"We may have somewhat different perspectives on the precise sequence or timing or conditions for different steps. but we are fundamentally aligned on the core strategic initiative here and on the belief that only through diplomacy are we going to really, truly be able to effectively make progress," Sullivan said on Oct. 26.

Sullivan had also declined to publicly discuss whether the U.S. supported declaring a formal end to the 1950-53 war as a way to bring North Korea back to the dialogue table.

Pyongyang has stayed away from denuclearization negotiations since 2019. It also remains unresponsive to numerous overtures made by the Joe Biden administration since it took office in January.

South Korea believes declaring the war's end could work as a catalyst to resume dialogue with North Korea.

bdk@yna.co.kr
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