South Korea says it is considering how to change a decades-old armistice with North Korea into a peace agreement, as US officials confirmed an unprecedented top-level meeting with the North Korean leader.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un (R) shakes hands with South Korean chief delegator Chung Eui-yong. Photo: AFP
Old rivals North Korea and South Korea are preparing for their summit - between Kim and South Korean President Moon Kae-in on 27 April - with a bid to formally end the 1950-53 Korean War, a major factor in talks.
"As one of the plans, we are looking at a possibility of shifting the Korean peninsula's armistice to a peace regime," a high-ranking South Korean presidential official told reporters.
"We want to include discussions to end hostile acts between the South and North"
South Korea and a US-led UN force are technically still at war with North Korea after the Korean War ended with a truce, not a peace treaty.
Such discussions between the North and South Koreas, and between North Korea and the United States, would have been unthinkable at the end of last year, after months of escalating tension, and fear of war, over the North's nuclear and missile programs.
But then North Korea's leader declared in a New Year's speech his country was "a peace-loving and responsible nuclear power" and called for lower military tension and improved ties with the South.
A visit by a high-level North Korean delegation to the Winter Olympics in South Korea in February began a succession of steps to improve ties.
Trump said on Tuesday he backed efforts between North and South Korea aimed at ending the state of war that has existed between their countries for so long.
"People don't realise the Korean War has not ended," Trump told reporters.
"It's going on right now. And they are discussing an end to the war. Subject to a deal, they have my blessing and they do have my blessing to discuss that."
- Reuters