DPRK calls for UN Command dissolution,peace treaty

PYONGYANG - The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Monday called for the dissolution of the UN Command (UNC) and a peace treaty to replace the Armistice Agreement (AA), the official news agency KCNA reported.

A DPRK foreign ministry memorandum said whether the United States dismantles the UNC or not could be seen as a measurement of Washington's willingness to maintain its "anti-DPRK policy."

The document argued that the United States is against replacing the AA with a permanent peace treaty because it wants to hold onto the armistice regime and the UNC.

The DPRK will maintain and strengthen its war deterrent capabilities until the United States decides to make the right choice, said the ministry.

The ministry added that political talks at a level higher than military commanders are the only way to ensure a lasting peace.

The Korean War came to a ceasefire on July 27, 1953, when the AA was signed in Panmunjom on the border of the DPRK and the Republic of Korea. But the war is not officially over because no peace treaty has ever been signed.