TIANJIN, China, Dec. 2 (Yonhap-Joint Press Corps) — National security adviser Suh Hoon arrived in China’s eastern city of Tianjin on Thursday for talks with a top Communist Party diplomat as South Korea steps up diplomatic efforts to declare a formal end to the 1950-53 Korean War.
Suh and Yang Jiechi, head of the Chinese Communist Party foreign affairs, were scheduled to hold talks later in the day, and they are expected to discuss Seoul’s push for an end-of-war declaration on the Korean Peninsula.
The Korean War, in which South Korea and a U.S.-led United Nations Command fought against invading North Korean forces backed by China, ended in an armistice, not a peace treaty.
The Moon Jae-in administration believes an end-of-war declaration will help revive stalled peace talks with North Korea.
China is believed to have expressed its willingness via diplomatic channels to join an end-of-war declaration as one of the signatories to the 1953 armistice agreement,
Asked about the prospects of discussions on the declaration, Suh replied the two sides will hold overall discussions.
The two sides “will discuss bilateral relations in general, as next year marks the 30th anniversary of establishing diplomatic ties,” Suh told reporters.
Suh is expected to brief Yang on Seoul’s latest efforts to formulate the declaration with Washington. He could also ask for China’s cooperation in drawing the North back to the negotiation table.
Suh and Yang could also discuss President Moon Jae-in’s possible visit to Beijing for the Winter Olympics in February. Seoul is believed to be considering the Olympics as a possible venue for declaring an end to the war.
Source: Yonhap News Agency