by Xinhua writer Shi Xiaomeng
BEIJING, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- The Korean Peninsula is one step closer toward lasting peace and stability as leaders of the two Koreas continue to achieve tangible results in their already third meeting this year.
The hard-won situation on the peninsula requires all parties, including the United States, to explore every possible way to consolidate and further expand their consensus, and match their pledges with concrete actions.
At the Pyongyang summit, Kim Jong Un, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), and South Korean President Moon Jae-in issued a joint declaration aimed at making the Korean Peninsula free of nuclear weapons or threats of armed conflict.
The summit, another milestone in inter-Korean relations, also witnessed the signing of a separate military agreement on the implementation of the Panmunjom Declaration issued at the first Kim-Moon summit in April.
These results stand as a strong testimony to the determination of both sides to resolves their outstanding issues through diplomacy.
Yet the next phase could be more challenging as it requires all relevant parties, especially the United States, to honor their respective commitments.
For example, in the joint declaration, the DPRK has expressed its willingness to take additional steps to permanently destroy its main Yongbyon nuclear facilities if Washington abides by the DPRK-U.S. joint statement signed in Singapore in June.
In response, Washington said it is prepared to engage immediately in negotiations to drastically transform U.S.-DPRK relations.
As soothing as they are, such remarks are not enough. The United States, a key party in solving the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula, needs to come up with concrete actions.
If the United States continues to take its maximum pressure approach on the DPRK for denuclearization, Pyongyang is unlikely to proceed in the direction Washington would like. The peace process on the Korean Peninsula has experienced ups and downs in the past few decades. And at this critical juncture, it is hoped that all parties come together and build on the progress achieved so far this year for a real lasting peace on the peninsula and beyond.
