Special Roundtable: Ending the Korean War

Special Roundtable: Ending the Korean War - Stockholm Peace Institute Director Dan Smith and Sejong Institute Chairman Moon Chung-in With Jen Moon 문건영 앵커의 연말특집 대담: 종전선언을 바라보는 4국의 시선, 남북미중 - 문정인 세종연구소 이사장 & 댄 스미스 스톡홀름 평화연구소장 The Cold War may have ended, but one of its greatest conflicts still lives on at least on paper. There has been no formal treaty ending the 1950 to 53 Korean War, meaning North Korea and China have technically been at war with U.S.-led forces and South Korea for more than seven decades. While the two Koreas have again revived calls for a peace deal, well-entrenched political forces could keep prospects of a resolution at bay. South Korean President Moon Jae-in, throughout his five-year long presidency - which comes to an end next May - has repeatedly called for a formal end-of-war declaration. Sept. 24, 2021 76th UN General Assembly "Today, I once again urge the community of nations to mobilize its strengths for the end-of-war declaration on the Korean Peninsula and propose that three parties of the two Koreas and the U.S., or four parties of the two Koreas, the U.S. and China come together and declare that the War on the Korean Peninsula is over. When the parties involved in the Korean War stand together and proclaim an end to the War, I believe we can make irreversible progress in denuclearization and usher in an era of complete peace." As we wrap up year 2021 and with President Moon having about five months left in office, how feasible is a peace treaty or an end-of-Korean War declaration under Mr. Moon Jae-in, what does it mean to sign a peace treaty, how close or far apart are the relevant parties on this issues... and most importantly... what IS the big deal? Replacing the near 70 year old armistice with a peace treaty on the Korean Peninsula: Let's get an in-depth analysis. I have in the studio with me two of the world's most distinguished in the fields of Korean Peninsula and Peace Affairs in the studio. To my left, Dr. Moon Chung-in, Chairman of the Sejong Institute and a distinguished scholar and professor at Yonsei University. Professor Moon was previously the Special Adviser of National Security and Foreign Affairs to President Moon Jae-in. And, to my right, Dan Smith, Director of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute and Former Professor of Peace and Conflict at the University of Manchester. Professor Smith is a scholar, analyst and practitioner of peacebuilding with a long record of research and publication on a wide range of conflict and peace issues. It is my absolute pleasure to have both of you, gentlemen, in my studio today. Welcome to the show. Before we delve into our key discussion, what brings you to South Korea this time, Professor Smith? Professor Moon, you were part of the awarding committee, were you not? What were some of the most noteworthy or fulfilling elements of Dan Smith's work that drove the Jeju 4.3 Peace Foundation to award the Peace Prize to Professor Smith THIS year? Let's talk about what's been hot and trending in the realm of Korean Peninsula Affairs, as of late. After a year of "will it" or "won't it"s, it appears - at this moment in time - that there are ongoing diplomatic endeavors to make that formal end of war declaration happen in the next few months. The Moon government in South Korea, even faced with criticism that they just do not have enough time left, continues to push for that peace treaty. The Biden administration doesn't seem AS willing saying only that it is open to talk with Pyeongyang any time, any where, without preconditions. North Korea - although we can never be certain about its stance or intentions - has given signals recently that it does not think such proposal by the South is a bad idea IF the U.S. were to "quote" stop its hostile stance toward the North. China... well, Seoul's NIS chief Suh Hoon is in Beijing this week for high-level talks, very possibly on the issue of a peace treaty. We're also hearing that there might have been communication between Beijing and Pyeongyang regarding this topic. Now, Dr. Moon, why is South Korea or the Moon Jae-in administration so keen on having the armistice replaced with a peace treaty? What does it mean to have a peace treaty in place? You make an important point. You make a clear distinction between an EOW declaration and a peace treaty. So, what the Moon administration means by an EOW declaration is that the four parties will get together and start talking about signing a peace treaty NOT that it will sign a peace treaty, am I correct? . . . #End_of_war_Declaration #Korean_War #Korean_Peninsula 📣 Arirang News(Facebook) :   / arirangtvnews   📣 Arirang News(Twitter) :   / arirangtvnews   📣 News Center(YouTube) :    / newscenter_arirangtv   2021-12-03, 09:00 (KST)