Kim, Moon agree on further steps toward peace, denuclearization

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Kim Jong Un (R), top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), and South Korean President Moon Jae-in pose for photos after signing a document in Pyongyang, the DPRK, on Sept. 19, 2018. [Photo/Xinhua]

The top leaders of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and South Korea signed a joint declaration in Pyongyang on Wednesday, agreeing on further steps toward denuclearization and concrete peace moves on the Korean Peninsula, including setting up buffer zones on their borders.

The DPRK's top leader Kim Jong Un and visiting South Korean President Moon Jae-in signed the joint declaration before meeting the press.

"The September declaration will open a higher level for the improvement in relations (between the DPRK and South Korea) ... and bring closer the era of peace and prosperity," Kim told the press conference at the state guest house Paekhwawon on Wednesday soon after their second round of talks.

Kim said that he wished to make the Korean Peninsula nuclear-free and that the DPRK is willing to take further steps toward the peninsula's denuclearization if the United States takes corresponding actions.

Further steps toward denuclearization

Under the joint declaration, the DPRK said it is willing to continue with additional steps toward denuclearization such as the permanent destruction of its main Yongbyon nuclear facility if the United States takes corresponding actions in line with the spirit of the DPRK-U.S. agreement reached at a summit in Singapore in June.

Kim said that the Panmunjom Declaration, signed by him and Moon during their first inter-Korean summit in April, would serve as the groundwork for a new era of peace on the peninsula.

The DPRK leader also said he would visit Seoul, the capital of South Korea, in the near future, which would make him the first ever top DPRK leader to do so in modern history.

During the joint press conference, Moon said that both leaders discussed the steps toward denuclearization for the first time. They also agreed on steps to end military tensions by transforming the inter-Korean border into a peace zone.

The DPRK "has agreed to permanently shut down its Dongchang-ri missile engine testing facility and missile launch pad under the participation of experts from related countries," Moon said.

Moon also said he hoped the talks between the DPRK and the United States would "quickly resume."

China has welcomed the latest peace developments on the Korean Peninsula. Chinese Ambassador to the United Nations Ma Zhaoxu said at a Security Council meeting on Monday that "the situation is now on the correct track of dialogue towards political settlement."

"China wishes to see both the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the Republic of Korea (ROK) implement the outcome of their summit," he said.

Talks between the DPRK and the United States had stalled as the U.S. side recently called off a scheduled trip to Pyongyang by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, citing lack of progress in the denuclearization process.

The official Rodong Sinmun of the DPRK said in a commentary on Tuesday that the United States was to blame for the stalemate in the DPRK-U.S. dialogue by "stubbornly insisting on the theory of 'dismantlement of nukes first' which was rejected in the past DPRK-U.S. dialogues."

In a related development, the South Korean side said Moon will meet with U.S. President Donald Trump later this month as he is scheduled to travel to New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly.

Buffer zones on borders

South Korean Defense Minister Song Young-moo and DPRK Minister of the People's Armed Forces No Kwang Chol signed a separate agreement, the Military Agreement to Implement the Panmunjom Declaration, at a ceremony witnessed by Moon and Kim.

The military agreement outlined concrete steps to stop all hostile acts between the two Koreas, building on the Panmunjom Declaration which lacked details.

Under the agreement, which Moon's top security advisor called an "effective nonaggression agreement," the Koreas agreed to stop military exercises in the border areas on land and sea and in the air by setting up buffer zones near the heavily armed inter-Korean border.

A 10-km long buffer zone would be set up near the military demarcation line (MDL) which divides the two Koreas at present. Any artillery drill and field maneuver would be banned in the zone.

The water areas about 80 km near the western and eastern inter-Korean sea boundaries would be designated as maritime buffer zones, where live-fire and maneuver drills by either side will be banned.

A no-fly zone would be set up near border areas to prevent any accidental clash in the air. It would take effect from Nov. 1.

They agreed to withdraw 11 guard posts from the demilitarized zone (DMZ) each by the end of this year on a trial basis, with the target of eventually pulling all guard posts out of the DMZ.

A consultation body would be formed to disarm a military area at Panmunjom. The disarming process would begin from Oct. 1 with a landmine removal.

The two sides would jointly excavate the remains inside the DMZ of fallen soldiers killed during the 1950-53 Korean War, according to the military agreement.

The military authorities of the two sides agreed to continue talks on measures of gradual disarmament by forming a joint committee.

Economic, sports cooperation

In their joint declaration, Kim and Moon called for steps to further improve inter-Korean relations.

The two sides agreed to begin the work to reconnect their severed railways and roads across the heavily fortified border and hold a ground-breaking ceremony before the end of 2018, according to the agreement.

If conditions are met, South Korea and the DPRK would normalize the operations of the Kaesong Industrial Complex and the Mount Kumgang tourism project and hold consultations on the formation of the West Sea joint special economic zone and the East Sea joint special tourism zone.

For humanitarian purposes, the two sides agreed to open a standing venue in the Mount Kumgang area as early as possible to reunite Korean families separated by the 1950-53 Korean War.

The two sides also agreed to increase exchanges and cooperation in culture and sports. Specifically, they would consider a joint bid to host the 2032 Summer Olympics.

Moon arrived in Pyongyang on Tuesday morning for a three-day visit amid mixed prospects for the denuclearization talks between the United States and the DPRK.

In a gesture of goodwill, Kim appeared at the Pyongyang International Airport to receive Moon in person and with a grand welcoming ceremony. They rode together in a procession on the way to the state guest house and held talks for about two hours in the afternoon.

The DPRK's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said that the two leaders on Tuesday had an "in-depth exchange of opinions on various issues arising in further accelerating the development of the north-south relations by honestly implementing the Panmunjom Declaration in an all-round manner."

Kim hosted a banquet for Moon on Tuesday evening.

Moon's entourage included ministers, senior officials, lawmakers, representatives of the cultural sector and corporate leaders, obviously in line with the recent drive of the DPRK for economic reforms.

Moon is expected to conclude his three-day visit to Pyongyang on Thursday.

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