War End Is Not Just Gift: KCNA Commentary

Pyongyang, October 2 (KCNA) -- Some Korean issue experts of America are recently spouting such rubbish that the U.S. should force the DPRK to not only notify its nuclear program and have it verified but also dismantle its Nyongbyon nuclear facility and missile facility in return for the U.S. response to its call for a war-end declaration.

The issue of the war-end declaration should have been resolved half a century ago, under an armistice agreement. It is also the most basic and primary process for the establishment of new DPRK-U.S. relations and peace mechanism on the Korean peninsula, to which the U.S. was also committed.

In actuality, the issue of the war end had already been proposed by the U.S. first during the Bush II administration more than one decade ago. As specified in the "Declaration for Development of North-South Relations and Peace and Prosperity" adopted on October 4, 2007 and the "Panmunjom Declaration for Peace, Prosperity and Reunification in the Korean Peninsula" on April 27 last, it is the matter to which the U.S. and other relevant parties paid more attention than the DPRK.

The end of war, which meets the interests of not only the DPRK and the U.S. but also the countries in Northeast Asia wanting peace of the Korean peninsula, is not just a gift from a man to another at all. Furthermore, it can never be a bargaining chip for getting the DPRK denuclearized.

Now that the DPRK and the U.S. are aspiring after the establishment of new relations true to the spirit of the June 12 DPRK-U.S. joint statement, it is quite right to put an end to the belligerent relations between them.

But, if the U.S. doesn't want the end of war, the DPRK will also not particularly hope for it.

As far as the Nyongbyon nuclear facility is concerned, it is just a core one for the nuclear program of the DPRK, as recognized by the U.S. and other countries of the world.

Out of its fixed stand to remain true to the joint statement made at the DPRK-U.S. summit, the DPRK clarified in the "September Pyongyang joint declaration" that it is willing to continuously take such additional steps as eternal dismantlement of the Nyongbyon nuclear facility if the U.S. takes a corresponding measure.

The DPRK is taking substantial and crucial steps to implement the joint statement made at the DPRK-U.S. summit, but the U.S. is still trying to subdue someone by resorting to sanctions, oft-repeating the story about escalation of sanctions pressure on the DPRK.

Worse still, those called experts on the Korean issue are orchestrating a farce of putting a price on the issue which should have been settled 60 odd years ago.

Whoever is truly interested in the settlement of the nuclear issue on the Korean peninsula should approach it with a proper understanding of the historical origin and essence of the nuclear issue of the Korean peninsula. -0