President Moon Jae-in on Sept. 21 delivers a keynote speech at the 76th United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters in New York. (Yonhap News)

By Kim Hyelin and Kim Hayeon

President Moon Jae-in on Sept. 21 said, "Today, I once again urge the community of nations to mobilize its strengths for the end-of-war declaration on the Korean Peninsula and propose 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."

In his keynote speech in the afternoon at the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters in New York, he said, "More than anything, an end-of-war declaration will mark a pivotal point of departure in creating a new order or 'reconciliation and cooperation' on the Korean Peninsula."

"When the parties involved in the Korean War stand together and proclaim an end to the War, I believe we can make irreversible progress in denuclearization and usher in an era of complete peace."   

Making a similar proposal at last year's assembly, the chief executive this time mentioned three of the four countries related to the Korean War -- the two Koreas and the U.S. -- or all four including China as parties to his envisioned declaration to formally end the conflict. 

"When the two Koreas and the surrounding nations work together, peace will be firmly established on the Korean Peninsula and prosperity fostered across entire Northeast Asia," he added. "That will go down as a Korean Peninsula model in which peace is attained through cooperation."

"Peace on the Korean Peninsula begins always with dialogue and cooperation. I call for speedy resumption of dialogue between the two Koreas and between the United States and North Korea." 

The president also expressed his intent to actively resolving pressing tasks of the global community like inclusive recovery from the coronavirus crisis and responding to the climate crisis.

His speech at the U.N. session was the fifth and last of his term. He is the only Korean head of state to attend and give keynote speeches at all high-level meetings of the assembly during his presidency.

President Moon in the afternoon left for Honolulu, Hawaii, after completing his two-night, three-day visit to New York.

kimhyelin211@korea.kr