President Backs South-North Military Committee

"South and North Korea will act in cooperation in order to realize peace on the Korean Peninsula by establishing a joint military committee between South and North Korea," said President Kim Dae-jung on June 25.

President Kim said this in a speech in commemoration of 50th anniversary of the start of the Korean War on June 25 at the Yongsan War Memorial. He said, "We have to free the 70 million Korean people from the fear of war."

"We will all perish because of weapons of mass destruction if war breaks out. Therefore, we must work for peaceful coexistence, exchange, and unification in which both Koreas can survive." President Kim emphasized that North Korea supports this view.

In regard to the U.S. Military Forces residing in Korea, President Kim said, "I explained to North Korea that the U.S. military forces are necessary not only to maintain peace on the Korean Peninsula but also for the balance of power in North East Asia even after unification, and it seemed that North Korea understood this situation."

"The Korean War was started to communize not only South Korea but also Japan and many other countries in Pacific Asia that were relatively weak at the time. The sacrifices of many heroes saved Korea and also prevented communism from spreading worldwide," said President Kim Dae-jung.

Moreover, he emphasized the importance of national defense, saying that we can secure peace on the Korean Peninsula only through a firm defense policy.

by Kim Jin-kook