Ruling party chief hints at possibility of two Koreas' declaration of an end to Korean War

SEOUL, May 29 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's ruling party chief on Tuesday floated the possibility of the two Koreas declaring an end to the Korean War before the signing of a multilateral peace treaty by countries engaged in the 1950-53 conflict. South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un agreed during their summit on April 27 to push for a formal end to the war and three- or four-way talks involving the U.S. and China. The war ceased not in a peace treaty but in a truce, which South Korea refused to sign. "South and North Korea, or the two Koreas and the United States, can announce an end to the Korean War before they clinch a peace treaty," Choo Mi-ae, the DP leader, said at a press conference with foreign correspondents here. "Some claim that the South is not a party to the armistice so it cannot be a signatory of a declaration of the war. But South Korea fought the war," she said. Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon earlier said that a peace treaty could be possible only after the issue of North Korea's nuclear threat is resolved. Choo's remark came as U.S. President Donald Trump and the North Korean leader are expected to hold a summit in Singapore on June 12 to discuss the North's denuclearization. sooyeon@yna.co.kr (END)