Kim Jong Un, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, and Moon Jae In, president of the Republic of Korea, held the third inter-Korean summit meeting and talks at Panmunjom on April 27, Juche 107 (2018).
The two leaders of the north and the south solemnly declared to the 80 million Koreans and the whole world that there will be no another war on the Korean peninsula and a new era of peace has been ushered in there.
They expressed their firm will to put an end to the protracted division and confrontation, outcome of the cold war era, as early as possible, to open a new era of national reconciliation, peace and prosperity with determination and to improve and develop inter-Korean relations more positively.
That day, they adopted the Panmunjom Declaration for Peace, Prosperity and Reunification of the Korean Peninsula as follows:
1. The north and the south will make an all-round and epochal improvement and development in their relations so as to reconnect the severed blood vessel of the nation and bring earlier the future of co-prosperity and independent reunification.
To improve and develop north-south relations is a unanimous desire of all the fellow countrymen and an urgent demand of the times that brooks no further delay.
First, the north and the south affirmed the principle of national independence that the destiny of our nation must be decided by our nation itself, and agreed to bring about a turning point in the improvement and development of relations by thoroughly implementing inter-Korean declarations and all agreements already adopted.
Second, the north and the south agreed to hold high-level talks and other dialogue and negotiations in all fields at an early date in order to take proactive measures for putting into practice the issues agreed at the summit talks.
Third, the north and the south agreed to set up a north-south joint liaison office permanently stationed by the authorities of both sides in the Kaesong area so as to keep close contact between them and ensure smooth nongovernmental exchanges and cooperation.
Fourth, the north and the south agreed to reenergize many-sided cooperation, exchanges, visits and contact of all social strata in order to stoke up the atmosphere of national reconciliation and unity.
They agreed to boost the atmosphere of reconciliation and cooperation at home by positively promoting joint events of the nation involving the authorities, parliaments, political parties, local autonomous and nongovernmental organizations and all other social strata to mark significant anniversaries common to both sides, including June 15, and to demonstrate to the whole world the resourcefulness, talents and united appearance of the nation abroad by jointly entering international games including the 2018 Asian Games.
Fifth, the north and the south agreed to strive for an immediate settlement of humanitarian issues caused by national division and open inter-Korean Red Cross talks in order to discuss and resolve various issues including the reunion of separated families and their relatives.
For the present, they agreed to arrange such a meeting on the occasion of forthcoming August 15 national liberation day.
Sixth, the north and the south agreed to push ahead with projects agreed upon in the October 4 Declaration so as to ensure a balanced development of the national economy and achieve co-prosperity and take practical measures for relinking, upgrading and exploiting the railway lines and roads on the east and west coasts in the first stage.
2. The north and the south will work together to ease the acute military tension and substantially remove the danger of war on the Korean peninsula.
To defuse military tension and remove war danger on the peninsula is a very important issue related to the destiny of the nation and a vital issue for ensuring a peaceful and stable life of our fellow countrymen.
First, the north and the south agreed to completely discontinue all hostile acts against each other, which are the source of military tension and conflict, in all spaces of the ground, sea and air.
They agreed to stop loudspeaker broadcasting, leaflet scattering and all other hostile acts along the Military Demarcation Line and remove means of these acts from May 1 for the present and turn the Demilitarized Zone into a true peace zone in the future.
Second, the north and the south agreed to take practical measures for preventing any accidental military clash and ensuring safe fishing activities by turning the area along the “northern limit line” on the West Sea into a peace zone.
Third, the north and the south agreed to take a series of military security measures for revitalizing mutual cooperation, exchanges, visits and contact.
The north and the south agreed to hold frequent talks of military authorities including ministers of the people’s armed forces and to arrange general-level military talks first in May so as to immediately discuss and resolve military issues arising between both sides.
3. The north and the south will closely work together to build a permanent and durable peace mechanism on the Korean peninsula.
It is a historic task that brooks no further delay to put an end to the current abnormal armistice and set up a definite peace mechanism on the Korean peninsula.
First, the north and the south reaffirmed the nonaggression agreement on the non-use of any type of armed force against each other, and agreed to strictly observe it.
Second, the north and the south agreed to reduce armaments by stages in accordance with the easing of military tension and the substantial building of mutual military confidence.
Third, the north and the south agreed to push ahead with holding of three-party talks involving the north, the south and the US, or four-party talks embracing the north, the south, China and the US to declare the termination of war, replace the armistice agreement with a peace pact and establish a permanent and lasting peace mechanism in this year that marks the 65th anniversary of the conclusion of the armistice agreement.
Fourth, the north and the south affirmed the common goal to make the Korean peninsula nuclear-free through its complete denuclearization.
The north and the south shared the view that the proactive measures taken by the north are very important and crucial for the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, and agreed to fulfil their respective responsibility and role in the future. The north and the south agreed to work hard to win support and cooperation from the international community for the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.
The leaders of the north and the south agreed to frequently have a serious discussion of the matters of national importance through regular talks and hotline to consolidate confidence, and make concerted efforts to further expand the favourable trend to the sustainable development of inter-Korean relations and peace, prosperity and reunification of the Korean peninsula.
For the present, President Moon Jae In agreed to visit Pyongyang in autumn this year.
