Seoul – On the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War on Thursday, South Korean President Moon Jae In assured North Korea his country wasn’t looking for another war.
“Before speaking of unification, I hope that we can become friendly neighbours first,” Moon said in his speech during a memorial event at Seoul’s military airport.
Both countries are still technically in a state of war. Fighting between them from 1950 to 1953 ended with a ceasefire agreement, but a peace treaty hasn’t been reached until this day.
“We are against a war,” Moon said. “The two Koreas’ competition over political and economic systems already ended a long time ago.”
“Our gross domestic product is more than 50 times that of North Korea, and our trade is over 400 times that of the North,” he said. “We do not have any intention to force our system on the North.”
Without touching on the most recent tensions on the peninsula, Moon addressed Pyongyang with an appeal for peace: “I hope North Korea will join the efforts of ending the saddest war in world history.”
Tensions have been ratcheting up on the peninsula in a row over a leafleting campaign by South Korea-based activists with messages urging North Koreans to overthrow the communist leadership.
North Korea had threatened to retaliate with military actions against the South but announced on Wednesday that it had suspended the plans.
. (dpa/NAN)
