North Korean leader Kim Jong-un told visiting South Korean officials that declaring a formal end to the Korean War has nothing to do with the South Korea-U.S. alliance or the presence of U.S. troops on the Korean Peninsula. 

The head of the National Security Office Chung Eui-yong told reporters in Seoul on Thursday that Kim made the remark with regard to some concerns emerging from Seoul and Washington that such declaration could undermine the South Korea-U.S. alliance and could lead Pyongyang to demand the withdrawal of U.S. troops on the peninsula. 

As President Moon Jae-in’s special envoy, Chung had led a special delegation to Pyongyang for a one-day trip on Wednesday and had met with the reclusive leader. 

Chung said that the two Koreas had already agreed during a summit in April to work to declare an official end to the 1950s Korean War within the year. 

He said Seoul believes that such declaration would be a political declaration and the first step toward building trust among related parties, adding that Pyongyang shares such view.