Leaders of two Koreas agree to denuclearize peninsula

Leaders of the two Koreas agreed Wednesday to end military tensions and try to achieve complete denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.

Kim Jong-un, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), and Republic of Korea President Moon Jae-in made the pledge at a joint press conference in Pyongyang.

At the press conference, Kim said that Panmunjom Declaration would serve as groundwork for a new era of peace on the Korean peninsula and he wished to make the peninsula nuclear-free.

The Panmunjom Declaration was signed during Kim's first meeting with Moon in April at the truce village of Panmunjom on the border of the two Koreas.

Kim promised to accelerate the inter-Korean peace talks, further develop inter-Korean relations and visit Seoul in the near future.

Moon said he and Kim have agreed on ways to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula for the first time. In addition, they agreed to end military tensions and transform the inter-Korean border into a "peace zone".

Moon noted that they reached consensus to eliminate all threats of war on the entire Korean Peninsula.

The two sides will also begin work to reconnect cross-border rails and roads before the end of this year, Moon told the press.

Moon, who is expected to meet US President Donald Trump later this month on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, added that he hoped discussions between the DPRK and the US would start once again.

Before meeting the press, the two leaders signed a summit agreement.

Defense chiefs from both sides also signed a separate agreement on military affairs in the presence of the two leaders.

Kim and Moon said in a statement Wednesday that the countries planned to jointly bid for the 2032 Summer Olympics.

Beijing welcomed a joint declaration signed by Pyongyang and Seoul on Wednesday, and called for the two sides to maintain efforts to promote interaction and cooperation.

Through the talks and the signing of the declaration, the two sides reached a new and important consensus on improving ties, easing regional military tension and promoting denuclearization of, and peace talks in, the Korean Peninsula, Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said on Wednesday.