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Suh Hoon, director of South Korea’s National Security Office shakes hands with US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on Tuesday in Washington. (provided by the Blue House National Security Office)

Suh Hoon, director of the Blue House National Security Office, met with White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan in Washington, DC, on Tuesday to provide a detailed explanation of the South Korean government’s ideas for a declaration officially ending the Korean War.

Seoul appears to be pursuing last-minute efforts to win support from the administration of US President Joe Biden, which has been guarded in its response to the end-of-war declaration push as a means of restarting the Korean Peninsula peace process.

Speaking with reporters after an 80-minute meeting with Sullivan that day, Suh explained, “We had in-depth discussions on denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and on regional peace and stability.”

“I explained about our vision for an end-of-war declaration, and the two sides agreed to continue in close discussions,” he added.

“Most importantly, we reaffirmed that the US government is also very interested in and committed to progress toward peace on the Korean Peninsula,” he said.

During the discussions, Suh explained President Moon Jae-in’s proposal for an end-of-war declaration during a speech last month before the UN General Assembly. His aim was to promote a broader understanding and participation from the US at a time when the Biden administration has not spoken publicly either in favor of or against such a declaration.

In his UN General Assembly speech, Moon proposed “that three parties of the two Koreas and the US, or four parties of the two Koreas, the US and China come together and declare that the War on the Korean Peninsula is over.”

A South Korean senior administration official said, “We explained our vision for an end-of-war declaration, and we believe that deepened [the US’] understanding of our position.”

“We explained in detail about how the President was proposing a declaration and how we’d like to see it pursued, and we agreed to continue holding discussions,” they added, in remarks that suggested some differences remain between the two sides on the significance and intent of an end-of-war declaration.

The same official also reaffirmed that an end-of-war declaration “cannot be discussed separately from denuclearization.”

“As a kind of ‘political declaration,’ an end-of-war declaration is a starting point opening the door to denuclearization,” they explained.

“We need to make it clear that this is a matter that needs to be discussed in conjunction with the denuclearization process,” they said.

In his meeting with Sullivan, Suh appears to have underscored that the declaration would not be a “gift” offered to North Korea unconditionally ahead of any additional measures but would instead be tied to the denuclearization process as a “catalyst” for discussions.

Remarking on the US response to this, the senior administration official said, “We’re not at a stage yet for talking about their response.”

“They shared views and agreed to continue discussing things. That’s an accurate description of the situation so far,” they added.

When asked whether there were any signals of the US being on board with a declaration, the official said, “I don’t think [the US] has said anything yet about not having an end-of-war declaration.” The response hinted that the US may not have ruled the idea out.

The same official also commented on the situation concerning a possible inter-Korean summit, which has emerged as another major issue.

“What I can say for certain is that we have no intention of doing it as an ‘event,’” they said.

“If we do have one, we need to come up with effective content as a summit outcome. We’re not going to have a summit for a summit’s sake,” they continued.

The official added that the “greatest single goal from the administration’s perspective is to stabilize the situation with inter-Korean relations, the Korean Peninsula, and denuclearization during the remainder of its term before passing it on to the next administration.”

“A lot of people may be worried about certain aspects, but they shouldn’t be. We have no intention of pushing too hard, and we’re not rushing,” they said.

The official also noted that while communication hotlines with North Korea have been restored, there is still no video conferencing system in place that would allow for virtual discussions amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

During the meeting Tuesday, the US reaffirmed that it does not intend to antagonize North Korea. In a press release, the Blue House National Security Office said, “The US reaffirmed its sincerity about not having a policy of hostility toward North Korea, and it reiterated its willingness to meet with North Korea for unconditional negotiations at any place or time.”

It also said the two sides “plan to cooperate closely in the future on concrete plans for engagement with the North.”

The meeting between the South Korean and US national security advisors that day took place in the wake of a report by the Rodong Sinmun newspaper the day before quoting remarks by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in a speech Monday at the “Self-Defence 2021” defense development exhibition.

“Recently, the United States has frequently sent signals that it is not hostile to our state, but its behaviours provide us with no reason why we should believe in them,” Kim said at the time.

The content of Kim’s speech was reportedly addressed briefly during the meeting. But in response to North Korea’s demands for actions by the US to provide a “reason to believe” that it is not hostile toward the North, Seoul and Washington merely reiterated their willingness to “meet with North Korea at any time.”

The Blue House National Security Office press release’s reference to reaffirming the US’ “sincerity” was especially noteworthy, as it seemed meant to underscore that the talk from the US was more than just rhetoric for appearances’ sake.

By Hwang Joon-bum, Washington correspondent

Please direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]