[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] Amid ongoing coordination between South Korea and the United States regarding a declaration to end the Korean War, the Ministry of Unification has stated that the coordination is entering its final stages.
A senior official from the Ministry of Unification told reporters at the Inter-Korean Dialogue Headquarters on the 24th that regarding the status and timing of the South Korea-US declaration discussions, "(The coordination between South Korea and the US) is entering the final stages to some extent," and added, "If a declaration to end the war is to be made, it is judged better to do it before the Beijing Olympics rather than during the event."
Regarding North Korea's demands for the withdrawal of hostile policies prior to discussions on the declaration to end the war, the official said, "These issues can be resolved during the dialogue process," and added, "Rather than viewing the declaration as having many conditions, the approach should be that many conditions can be resolved through the declaration."
Concerning the provision of COVID-19 vaccines to North Korea, the official emphasized the importance of the type and quantity. The senior official stated, "It is highly likely that 2 to 3 million doses would be considered a very insufficient quantity," and added, "(Regarding the type), I think vaccines from the US or Europe would be preferred."
However, it appears that the government has not yet conducted a detailed review of the issue of providing vaccines to North Korea.
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