Japanese Pugwashites Welcome the Historic Peace Initiative in Korea
May, 3, 2018

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 The meeting between the two Korean leaders which took place in Panmunjom on 27 April, 2018, was remarkable in the sense that it demonstrated in an unmistakable manner the determination of the Korean people for a peaceful solution of the crisis.
 For the past few years, we have witnessed the intensification of tension in the region, which threatens not only Northeast Asia but also the whole world with the imminent danger of a nuclear war.  The “Panmunjom Declaration” issued on the occasion of the summit meeting shows, however, that the Korean people are determined to solve their differences without waging war and will seek to build  a nuclear-weapon-free Korean Peninsula. It  was proposed that, 65 years after its ceasefire, the Korean War is to be finally ended this year, by concluding a peace treaty between the warring parties. 
 Needless to say, there are still many problems to solve and significant difficulties to overcome before these goals will be successfully achieved. We believe, however, that this is a historic initiative, which  could save us all from the  prolonged crisis in the region. 
 We, on behalf of  Pugwash Japan, who have been aspiring for the abolition of nuclear weapons and the peaceful solution of international disputes, welcome this historic peace initiative and admire the courage and determination of the Korean leaders and the people which made  it possible.  We urge the people and the governments in the region, especially the Japanese, to respond positively and earnestly to this initiative. 

 

Pugwash Japan Chair: Tatsujiro Suzuki
Vice Chair: Yoshiko Kurita, Takao Takahara