South Korea confirms peace treaty negotiations with US, North Korea

South Korea confirmed on Wednesday it is working with U.S. officials on negotiating a peace treaty with North Korea, The New York Times reported.

In what could be a historic agreement to formally end the Korean War, which has lasted over 60 years, North Korea has signaled its willingness to give up its nuclear weapons in exchange for security agreements.

The top national security official for President Moon Jae-in of South Korea, Chung Eui-yong, reportedly said he has been speaking with President Trump’s national security adviser John Bolton to plan talks between the U.S. and North Korea. 

{mosads}

“We held in-depth discussions on various ways of how to end hostilities and eventually establish a peace regime on the Korean Peninsula, how to address the North Korean concerns and how to ensure a bright future for the North if it makes the right choice,” Chung told the Times. 

Bolton, who is new to his job as national security adviser and previously voiced support for preemptive strikes on North Korea, has pledged to support Trump in brokering peace on the peninsula, Chung stated.

Trump announced last month that he has accepted an invitation from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to meet in person in the coming weeks. North Korean officials have also invited Moon for talks in Pyongyang, the first official negotiations between the two Koreas in over 10 years. 

On Wednesday, Trump confirmed that CIA Director Mike Pompeo, who is his current nominee to lead the State Department, met with the North Korean leader last month in preparation for Trump’s meeting and to ensure that Kim would discuss denuclearization.