North Korea transfers remains of US troops
It is noteworthy that some positive developments for the peace process on the Korean Peninsula were made upon the 65th anniversary of the signing of the armistice that halted the fighting of the Korean War on July 27, 1953.
The White House confirmed Thursday that Pyongyang sent some of the remains of U.S. soldiers killed in the three-year Korean War. The first batch of the remains was transported to Osan Air Base by a U.S. Air Force aircraft from Wonsan, North Korea, Friday. A repatriation ceremony will be held at the base on Aug. 1.
The transfer of the remains of the U.S. servicemen came amid a deadlock in the implementation of the agreement between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, produced during their June 12 summit in Singapore. In a statement, the White House said Kim was "fulfilling part of the commitment he made to the President to return our fallen American service members."
Trump also recognized Kim for honoring a part of their agreement. "The remains of American servicemen will soon be leaving North Korea and heading to the United States! After so many years, this will be a great moment for so many families. Thank you to Kim Jong-un," Trump said on Twitter.
The repatriation of the U.S. soldiers is an important step in building trust between U.S. and North Korea. It remains to be seen whether this could contribute to expediting the declaration to end the Korean War. President Moon Jae-in and Kim agreed to formally end the war this year and replace the truce with a peace treaty during their first summit at the border village of Panmunjeom in April.
The declaration will be meaningful in that it formally terminates hostilities between the two Korea, which will contribute significantly to peace on the Korean Peninsula.
The Cold War is long over, but the two Koreas still remain technically at war. On the occasion of the 65th anniversary of the armistice, all parties concerned should renew their commitment to doing their part for establishing permanent peace on the peninsula.
President Trump has said he would give his "blessing" to discuss the end of the war. The U.S. and North Korea should continue to make trust-building efforts by fulfilling their part of the Singapore agreement so that discussions to formally end the war can move forward.
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