North and South Korea Engage In Historic Peace Talks

On Friday, April 27, 2018, hope for peace returned to the Korean peninsula. In an unprecedented action from a North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un stepped foot onto South Korean soil and shook hands with South Korean President Moon Jae-in. The historic moment took place in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) between the two countries as part of surprise negotiating talks between the two Koreas.

The meeting marked the hopeful beginning of the end of the Korean War, a war not officially ended by peace treaty but rather by an armistice in 1953 that has kept the war officially active for over half a century.

The monumental outcome from the peace talks, however, was the agreement the two world leaders made to rid the Korean peninsula of nuclear weapons. This reborn ideology from the North Korean leader comes after months of combative rhetoric and aggression towards South Korea and its allies. At a speech after the talks, Kim spoke of the success by saying, “we bade farewell to the frozen relationship between North and South Korea, which was a nightmare. And we announced the beginning of a warm spring to the world.”

Kim affirmed his goal to work with South Korea to repair the country’s unfortunate history. He recognized the failures of past negotiations and acknowledged that additional hardships may come in the future but realizes that victory cannot be achieved without pain.

In addition to talks of denuclearization, the negotiations included agreements to: end hostile activities between the two nations, change the DMZ to a “peace zone,” push for four-way talks with China and the United States, organize for the reunion of separated families, connect transportation across the border, and have more joint participation in sporting events.

Foreign leaders China and the United States praised the negotiations, with hopes of success this time around. U.S. President Donald Trump tweeted his reactions, saying that good things are happening on the peninsula, however, he doesn’t plan to be “played” by Kim Jong-un. Newly confirmed Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who recently met with Kim, believes the North Korean Supreme Leader is legitimately interested in peace and denuclearization and praised President Trump for leading the way.

Last week, Kim Jong-un announced he was suspending nuclear tests and plans to meet with President Trump in the coming future at an undetermined location. This will mark the first ever meeting between a sitting U.S. President and the leader of North Korea. President Trump said of the future talks with Kim, “maybe it will be wonderful. And maybe it won’t, and if it’s not going to be fair and reasonable and good, unlike past administrations, I will leave the table.”