The head of the National Intelligence Service (NIS) says a multi-party declaration to formally end the Korean War would be a useful tool to build trust before establishing a peace regime on the Korean Peninsula.

In a contribution Wednesday to State Affairs Briefing, a government-run news Web site, NIS Director Kim Man-bok argued that amid multilateral efforts to denuclearize North Korea, a war-ending declaration should provide strong momentum to resolving the nuclear issue.

Kim also said that the parties concerned have agreed to hold a separate peace forum, declaring that it's natural to begin the peace process by declaring the end of the Korean War.

He noted that as China is a signatory to the 1953 armistice agreement, Beijing's participation would reinforce the international legitimacy of such a declaration.

Kim added that the format and timing of the declaration does not matter as long as it can promote a lasting peace regime.