South Korean President Moon Jin announced this morning (Monday) that he had agreed with the leaders of North Korea, China and the United States on a principled end to the fighting situation in the Korean Peninsula.
The Korean War ended in a ceasefire and the creation of a demilitarized zone in North and South Korea, but officially the war between the two countries has never ended.
Moon, who made the remarks during a visit to Australia, said all countries agreed in principle that the state of war should be ended, but Pyongyang insisted on a "political change" of the United States towards North Korea before the end of the war was officially announced.
South Korean President, Moon J. In, Photo: IPI
The Biden administration has so far ignored calls from Pyongyang for the resumption of negotiations between the two countries and contented itself with cool statements and condemnations of missile tests conducted by the North Koreans.
Direct talks on lifting sanctions and dismantling North Korea's nuclear weapons have ended, following the failure of a summit between President Trump and North Korean ruler Kim Jong Un in 2019 in Hanoi.
But even if the ceasefire between North and South Korea is indeed declared, it is difficult to see what significant consequences on the ground such a statement would have.
The border between the two countries is the most fortified in the world and both sides hold a huge military force waiting for a day of command near the border.
The Korean War took place between 1950 and 1953 and was attended by many foreign forces including the United States military and its allies as well as more than a million Chinese soldiers.
According to rough estimates, between two and three million people were killed in the war and millions more lost their homes.
The war caused unprecedented destruction in the Korean Peninsula and more than half a century of military tension.
Were we wrong?
Fixed!
If you found an error in the article, we'll be happy for you to share it with us