People Power Party’s presidential candidate Yoon Seok-youl has expressed his opposition to President Moon Jae-in’s call for a declaration to end the Korean War which he claimed would only serve as a symbolic and political gesture.
In a meeting with foreign journalists in Seoul on Friday, Yoon said a mere political declaration will have significant adverse effects, arguing it could incapacitate the United Nations Command as an armistice-managing system and also the command’s rear base in Japan. That will cause grave challenges in the event of an unanticipated threat to national security, he said.
The PPP candidate also contended it could also sway public opinions for withdrawal or scaling down of U.S. Forces in Korea.
He said a peace deal and end-of-war declaration can be considered in line with an irreversible progress in efforts to denuclearize North Korea and may even lead to extensive economic cooperation with the communist nation.
Still, the candidate added that such a declaration at the current stage could send a wrong signal to the international community or to the South Korean public.
Source: KBS World Radio