Talks might bring official end to war
The leaders of North and South Korea met for talks Friday, a historic moment of face-to-face diplomacy after 70 years of bitter rivalry where the two nations announced a desire to work toward a treaty that would officially end the Korean War. Adding to the history-making stakes is the prospect that President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un will have their own meeting in May or June. Those talks would be the first dialogue between a sitting U.S. president and a leader of North Korea. Here is more you should know:
Why are the Koreas still at war?
The Korean War effectively ended in a stalemate in July 1953, after three years of fighting.
The conflict, the first of the Cold War, pitted North Korea, a Communist dictatorship supported by China, against South Korea and its ally, the United States, which led a U.N. force. Generals from North Korea, China and the United States signed the 1953 armistice at Panmunjom. The South Korean leader, Syngman Rhee, however, refused to sign. A peace treaty was never negotiated, so technically the parties are still at war.
What would a peace treaty mean?
In the past, North Korea has demanded that U.S. soldiers stationed in the South must leave the peninsula as a condition of peace. But Kim’s stance on the future of the 28,500 U.S. troops appears to have softened in recent weeks.
Over the decades, U.S. presidents have decreased the number of troops stationed in the South.
What should we expect from talks between Trump and Kim?
The two leaders spent much of last year exchanging threats and insults, but Trump has been widely positive in his approach to Kim since the North Korean leader signaled a willingness to negotiate. Last week, Trump voiced optimism about the potential faceto-face talks with Kim, but he vowed to cancel the meeting or walk out if there are signs it “is not going to be fruitful.”
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