South and North Korea have agreed to end the Korean War this year and work together to turn an armistice into a peace treaty.
To that end, they agreed to joint efforts to hold a trilateral or four-way summit, involving the United States or the U.S. and China.
They also reaffirmed that denuclearization is their joint goal while President Moon Jae-in agreed to visit the North this fall.
The two Koreas on Friday announced a 13-point agreement following the historic one-day summit meeting between President Moon and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un held at the Peace House on the southern side of the truce village of Panmunjeom.
Under the agreement, titled “Panmunjeom Declaration for Peace, Prosperity and Unification of the Korean Peninsula,” the two sides will declare an end to the Korean War, 65 years after the three-year war ended in an armistice and not a peace treaty.
They said they will actively cooperate with each other to build a permanent and solid peace regime on the Korean Peninsula, calling it a historical mission that must no longer be delayed.
As part of efforts they agreed to establish a joint liaison office in North Korea's Gaeseong where officials of the two sides will reside to facilitate close consultation.
Both sides also reaffirmed the Nonaggression Agreement precluding any use of military force against each other.
They also agreed to turn areas around the Northern Limit Line in the West Sea into a maritime peace zone to prevent accidental military clashes.
The two Koreas also agreed to hold a reunion of war-separated families on August 15th and jointly take part in global sports events.
Moon and Kim agreed to hold frequent and candid discussions through regular meetings and direct phone calls.
In that regard, they agreed on Moon’s visit to North Korea this fall.
The Friday summit was unconventional in both content and format compared to the past two summits. The two leaders planted a commemorative tree and held in-depth talks during a one-on-one stroll.
There is criticism over the lack of details regarding denuclearization but others say that will be addressed during the Kim-Trump summit.
The cross-border summit has ended in success, paving the way for North Korea-U.S. talks.
The remaining task is to implement the agreements and draw united global support as U.S. and Chinese consent is essential to ending the Korean War.