US lawmakers urge Biden to declare formal end to Korean War

Washington/Seoul, Nov 9: A group of US lawmakers sent a letter to President Joe Biden last week, urging his administration to quickly engage with North Korea and discuss declaring a formal end to the Korean War, an activist group said. The letter was also sent to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Yonhap News Agency reported on Tuesday citing the Korean American Public Action Committee (KAPAC) as saying.

"We wish to highlight the importance of the US continuing its efforts to facilitate peace between South Korea and North Korea and bring about democracy for all residents of the Korean Peninsula," said the November 4 date letter released by the KAPAC.

It was signed by Democratic Representative from California, Brad Sherman and 22 other lawmakers, according to the KAPAC.

The lawmakers noted South Korean President Moon Jae-in renewed his proposal to declare a formal end to the Korean War in his address to the UN General Assembly in September.

"An official end to the state of war between North Korea, South Korea, and the US is not a concession to North Korea. Rather, it is a vital step towards peace that serves the national interest of the US and our allies alike," said the letter.

"To that end, we urge the administration and the Secretary of State to prioritise active diplomatic engagement with North Korea and South Korea with the goal of a binding peace agreement constituting a formal and final end to the state of war between North Korea, South Korea, and the US."

The divided Koreas technically remain at war, as the 1950-53 war ended only with an armistice. Seoul believes declaring a formal end to the war may help restart denuclearisation negotiations with North Korea, which have stalled since 2019.