North agrees to dismantle missile test site as Koreas advance on reconciliation
North and South Korea yesterday agreed to take significant steps towards denuclearisation and reconciliation, in an ambitious plan to rekindle diplomatic ties.
North Korea agreed to dismantle a key missile test site under the watch of international inspectors, according to a joint statement signed by leader Kim Jong-un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in in Pyongyang.
But the North said it would dismantle its main site Yongbyon only if the United States undertook reciprocal actions.
North and South Korea also agreed to create peace zones along their border, to each withdraw 11 guard posts from the demilitarised zone and to undertake a joint excavation of war remains.
A buffer zone will be created to stop hostile acts.
“We agreed to make active efforts to turn the Korean Peninsula into a land of peace without nuclear weapons or nuclear threats,” Mr Kim said.
The North Korean leader will probably visit Seoul later this year, Mr Moon said.
“Chairman Kim has clearly shown a way to denuclearisation on the Korean Peninsula today. We have agreed on a Korean Peninsula without nuclear weapons, without nuclear threats and without a war.”
Although progress on the key issue of the North’s nuclear arsenal was limited, the two signed a document to strengthen ties between the two countries.
International sporting events and family reunions were among other key points included in the statement.
The leaders plan to bid jointly for the 2032 Olympics and to compete as one team at the 2020 Games in Tokyo, Japan.
“The South and North agreed to actively participate jointly in international competitions including the 2020 Summer Olympics and to co-operate in bidding for the South-North joint hosting of the 2032 Summer Olympics,” the statement said.
The two countries decided to open a permanent meeting place for families separated by the border and to establish an avenue for video greetings and letters between loved ones.
Most of the separated families were driven apart during the 1950-1953 Korean War.
Nearly 20,000 people have participated in 20 rounds of face-to-face reunions since 2000. Another 3,700 exchanged video messages with their North Korean relatives under a short-lived communication programme from 2005 to 2007.
The latest three-day reunification round was last month, where dozens of elderly Koreans were seen embracing and crying.
No one has had a second chance to see their relatives, until now.
It was also agreed to normalise the joint Gaeseong industrial park and Mount Kumgang tourism project, and to set up a co-economic zone on the West Sea, if conditions allow.
The two countries are also expected to connect existing railways and roads this year.
Mr Moon is the first South Korean leader to visit Pyongyang in 11 years. He said his “heart is very full today”.
“I feel overwhelmed that I can share these words today,” he said. “South and North Korea for the first time agreed on measures for denuclearisation. It is a very meaningful achievement.”