South Korea, US urge Pyongyang to abide by 2018 peace agreements

Seoul Defence Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo and US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper on Thursday urged Pyongyang to abide by the 2018 agreements signed for peace on the Korean peninsula.

Seoul Defence Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo and US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper on Thursday urged Pyongyang to abide by the 2018 agreements signed for peace on the Korean peninsula. "Both leaders call on North Korea to meet its commitments in alignment with agreements such as the joint statement signed in Singapore after the North Korea-U.S. summit and the Sept. 19 inter-Korean military pact," Yonhap news agency quoted the statement released on the 70th anniversary of the outbreak of the 1950-53 Korean War.

The Korean War had sparked on June 25, 1950, after shells and gunshots began in South Korea's northern regions in predawn hours. The statement further read, "In the spirit of shared sacrifice, Secretary Esper affirms the United States' ironclad commitment to the defense of South Korea, and the two leaders commit to strengthening and adapting the alliance to meet present and future challenges," the statement said.

During the last few weeks, tensions between North Korea and South Korea had escalated following leaflet propaganda. North Korea cut off communications with the South, and also blew up the joint liaison office in the border town of Kaesong last week. According to Pyongyang, it was in protest over Seoul's failure to act against North Korean defectors who were sent to their home country leaflets critical of policies of Chairman Kim Jong Un.

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