The leaders of North and South Korea may finally put an end to the conflict that has been affecting the two nations for the last 68 years.
At the end of the Korean war in 1954, South and North Korean officials signed a truce. Though it put an end to the violence between Pyeongchang and Seoul, they never actually agreed to sign a peace treaty.
The countries came closing to ending the war in 2007 during the “Sunshine Policy” peace talks, but it was not to be. In addition to North Korea resisting international inspections of their nuclear facilities, South Korea elected a new president in 2008 who abandoned the negotiations.
But now according to a report published by the South Korean newspaper Munhwa Ilbo, an unnamed Seoul official says that the two nations will be announcing their intention of ending the decades-long war during a leader’s summit later this month – which is the third-ever meeting between South and North leaders in history.
If the countries successfully end the war, it could also spell the end of the demilitarized zone (DMZ) on the Korean border. The 2.5-mile stretch of land would return to its original state, and all troops, artillery, and other weapons would be pulled back from both sides.
The negotiations could also pave the way for a meeting between Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un in May or June, which would make history as the first ever sitting between an American president and a North Korean leader.
