South Korea approves Pyongyang declaration signed at third Moon-Kim summit

SEOUL: The South Korean government yesterday approved the Pyongyang Declaration, which was signed at the third summit in Pyongyang in September between South Korean President Moon Jaein and Kim Jong Un, top leader of North Korea.

It was deliberated and approved during the cabinet meeting chaired by Moon who would sign and ratify the declaration, reported Xinhua news agency.

Under the Pyongyang Declaration, the two sides agreed to end hostile relations, increase cooperation and exchanges and denuclearise the Korean Peninsula.

The cabinet also approved the comprehensive military agreement which was signed by defence chiefs of the two Koreas during the Pyongyang summit.

Under the military agreement, the two Koreas agreed to stop all hostile acts in border areas by setting up a buffer zone along the heavily-armed border.

The approvals came as the Ministry of Government Legislation reportedly ruled that the Pyongyang Declaration did not require a parliamentary ratification.

As the Pyongyang Declaration was mostly about ways to implement the Panmunjom Declaration, which Moon and Kim signed in their fi rst summit in April in the border village of Panmunjom, the Pyongyang Declaration does not require the parliamentary ratification, according to the ministry.

The Panmunjom Declaration is currently in the parliamentary ratification process.

Moon said during the cabinet meeting that the improved interKorean relations and the eased military tensions could spur the complete denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula more easily. — Bernama