"We should put an end to the armistice that has lasted for 65 years and move toward signing a peace treaty through the declaration of the end of the war," Moon told editors-in-chief of local media outlet at a meeting in the Blue House, as quoted by his press service.
The president noted that the upcoming inter-Korean summit was a "dramatic change."
"Through the inter-Korean summit, we must create a milestone in the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, establish permanent peace and develop sustainable inter-Korean relations. It should also prompt the success of the North Korea-US summit," Moon said.
Moon's statement comes a day after South Korean top security adviser Chung Eui-yong said that South Korea may sign a peace treaty with North Korea if Pyongyang gives up nuclear weapons.
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On March 5-6, South Korea’s high-ranking delegation visited North Korea. Upon the delegation's return, the South Korean presidential office announced that Seoul and Pyongyang had reached a historic agreement on holding the third ever summit of the countries’ leaders.
South and North Korea remain legally at war, as no peace treaty was signed after the Korean War of 1950-1953. The 1953 Korean Armistice Agreement provided for a suspension of open hostilities and a fixed demarcation line with a buffer zone.
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North Korea has repeatedly announced that it would no longer abide by the armistice and called for replacing it with a peace treaty, stressing that the 1953 agreement was meant to be a transitional measure. However, tensions on the peninsula, as well as the North’s hesitation to take steps toward denuclearization have curbed the talks on the issue.
