THE KUKMIN DAILY

The National Council of Churches in Korea (NCCK), the National Council of YMCAs of Korea, and the Korea YWCA submitted a petition to the Blue House on July 27th, strongly pressing for the concluding of a peace treaty.

At a press conference (photo) on the morning of the 27th, held outside the Cheongun-Hyoja-dong Citizens’ Center in Jongno-gu, Seoul, the three organizations spelled out the reasons for their petition. “The continued South-North division and military confrontation is due to the maintenance of the 1953 ceasefire agreement and the failure of the concerned countries to build a peace structure,” they said. “At the 2007 South Korea-North Korea Summit, the two heads agreed to cooperate closely toward the ending of military hostilities, the alleviation of tensions and the securing of peace.” Moreover, they pointed out, “The countries that participated in the 6-party talks, with the aim of denuclearizing the Korean peninsula, promised in their joint statement of September 19, 2005, that ‘The directly related parties will negotiate a permanent peace regime on the Korean peninsula at an appropriate separate forum.’” The three organizations declared, “Therefore the government of the Republic of Korea must initiate and play a leading role in getting a peace treaty concluded for the settling of permanent peace in the Korean peninsula.”

Among the contents of the draft peace treaty that the three organizations submitted along with their petition were the explicit statements: “With the aim of concluding a peace treaty, South Korea, North Korea, the U.S. and China should reopen 4-party talks, suspend all mutually hostile actions, and cooperate for denuclearization of the Korean peninsula,” and “The four countries should support and facilitate reunions of divided family members, a wide variety of civilian exchanges and cooperation, and humanitarian assistance.” The NCCK, Korea YMCA and Korea YWCA are also planning to send letters to the National Assembly, and to the governments of the U.S., China, North Korea and others, to press for the conclusion of a peace treaty.

Reporter Lee Saya (Isaiah@kmib.co.kr), with Marion Kim (marionkkim@icloud.com)
Photo by senior reporter Kang Min Seok


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