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North and South Korea agree in principle to end war

Headlines 12:29 13 Dec, 2021

North and South Korea, the US and China have agreed in principle to declare a formal end to the Korean War, South Korean President Moon Jae-in said

North and South Korea agree in principle to end war

North and South Korea, the US and China have agreed in principle to declare a formal end to the Korean War, South Korean President Moon Jae-in said.

He said talks on a formal agreement had not yet begun because of disagreement over North Korea's demands.

North Korea and the US are in dispute over North Korea's nuclear weapons programme, which the US says the country has to abandon before any sanctions are lifted. North Korea insists that the US departs the area and lifts sanctions.

Speaking in Australia, Mr Moon said North Korea continued to make these demands before any talks were held.

“Because of that, we are not able to sit down for a discussion or negotiation on the declaration. We hope the talks will be initiated,” he said.

Mr Moon has made engagement with North Korea a key aspect of his presidency and of his foreign policy agenda.

The Korean War, which lasted from 1950 to 1953, ended with an armistice and not a peace treaty, meaning that the North and South are technically still at war.