July 27 2011 marks the 58th anniversary of the signing of the Armistice that officially ended the fighting of the Korean War. On July 27, 1953, parties to the Korean War, with the exception of South Korea, formerly agreed to an armistice. Further negotiations toward a peace treaty were to follow. But the needed agreement for a peace treaty continues to prove an elusive goal, even 58 years later.

This week, in an unusual and generally unexpected development, the North Korean Deputy Foreign Minister Kim Kye Kwan and Ri Gun, head of the North American Affairs Bureau of the North Korean Foreign Ministry have arrived in New York for formal (official negotiations) and less formal (called 2nd level) talks toward determining whether there is a basis to resume the 6 party talks. Kim is to meet with Stephen Bosworth, the US Special Representative for North Korean Policy and others in… weiter lesen

At the UN, the British Ambassador Mark Lyall Grant, who holds the presidency of the Security Council for the month of November, told journalists that he was having consultations among Security Council members on Korea and the consultations would continue. It was Wednesday afternoon at the stakeout at the UN Security Council. It was the day before the American celebration of Thanksgiving. The Security Council had met for consultations on another matter, but a number of journalists came to the stakeout to hear if the Security Council had any plans about what it would do about the increased hostilities on the Korean peninsula. The British Ambassador didn’t take any questions from journalists so there was little communication about what was being planned at the Security Council.

Ban Ki-moon’s Response

Just a few hours after the hostilities had erupted between the two Koreas on November 23, UN Secretary General Ban ki-moon… weiter lesen