September 19th Pyongyang Declaration

Country/entity
North Korea
South Korea
Region
Asia and Pacific
Agreement name
September 19th Pyongyang Declaration
Date
19/09/2018
Agreement status
Multiparty signed/agreed
Interim arrangement
No
Agreement/conflict level
Interstate/interstate conflict (Korean Conflict (1950 - )
Before WWII, the Korean peninsula was part of the Japanese empire. It was when the USSR declared war on Japan in August 1945, following an agreement between Stalin and Churchill at the Tehran Conference in 1943, that the Korean peninsula was liberated down to the 38th parallel as per the agreement. However, following the post-WWII breakdown in the Allied relations and the start of the Cold War, the peninsula was not unified as agreed. Instead rival regimes were set up by the USSR and the Americans, both of which claimed power over all of the peninsula. North Korea invaded the South with the backing of China and the USSR, causing the United Nations - spearheaded by the Americans - to come to the aid of the South. Eventually, Northern troops were pushed back to the 38th parallel and in July 1953 an armistice was signed creating a demilitarised zone between the North and South. In lieu of a peace treaty, the two countries are still technically at war. In 2013 the North Korean regime stated that the 1953 armistice was no longer in effect. After serious stand-offs due due to the unwillingness of the North to undergo nuclear disarmament the first inter-Korean summit took place in April 2018 and a joint Declaration for Peace regarding cooperation and peace was issued. This was then followed by the 2018 Summit between the US-North Korea where they committed to work for complete nuclear disarmament of the Korean Peninsula. The second summit ended without a deal in early January 2019.
Korean Conflict (1950 - ) )
Stage
Pre-negotiation/process (Confidence building measure)
Conflict nature
Territory
Peace process
84: North Korea - South Korea interstate process
Parties
South Korea's President Moon Jae-in
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un
Third parties
Description

Agreement document
KP KR_180919_September 19th Pyongyang Declaration.pdf []

Groups

Children/youth
No specific mention.
Disabled persons
No specific mention.
Elderly/age
No specific mention.
Migrant workers
No specific mention.
Racial/ethnic/national group
No specific mention.
Religious groups
No specific mention.
Indigenous people
No specific mention.
Other groups
No specific mention.
Refugees/displaced persons
No specific mention.
Social class
No specific mention.

Gender

Women, girls and gender
No specific mention.
Men and boys
No specific mention.
LGBTI
No specific mention.
Family
Page 2:
3. The two Koreas agreed to further strengthen humanitarian cooperation to fundamentally resolve the issue of separated families.
 1 The two Koreas agreed to open a permanent reception venue for separated families in the Mount Geumgang region at the earliest date possible and to that end, agreed to swiftly repair the reception house at the mountain resort.
 2 The two Koreas agreed to first work out through Red Cross talks the issue of holding video reunions and of allowing families to exchange video messages.

State definition

State definition
No specific mention.

Governance

Political institutions (new or reformed)
No specific mention.
Constitution's affirmation/renewal
No specific mention.
Constitutional reform/making
No specific mention.
Elections
No specific mention.
Electoral commission
No specific mention.
Political parties reform
No specific mention.
Civil society
No specific mention.
Traditional/religious leaders
No specific mention.
Public administration
No specific mention.

Power sharing

Political power sharing
No specific mention.
Territorial power sharing
No specific mention.
Economic power sharing
No specific mention.
Military power sharing
No specific mention.

Human rights and equality

Human rights/RoL
No specific mention.
Equality
No specific mention.
Democracy
No specific mention.
Protection measures
No specific mention.
Human rights framework
No specific mention.
Civil and political rights
No specific mention.
Socio-economic rights
No specific mention.
NHRI
No specific mention.
Regional or international human rights institutions
No specific mention.
Mobility/access
No specific mention.
Detention procedures
No specific mention.
Media and communication
No specific mention.
Citizenship
No specific mention.

Justice sector reform

Criminal justice and emergency law
No specific mention.
State of emergency provisions
No specific mention.
Judiciary and courts
No specific mention.
Prisons and detention
No specific mention.
Traditional Laws
No specific mention.

Socio-economic reconstruction

Development or socio-economic reconstruction
Socio-economic development
Page 1:
 2. The two Koreas agreed to further boost exchanges and cooperation based on mutual reciprocity and co-prosperity as well as devise substantial ways to advance national economy in a balanced manner.

 1 The two Koreas agreed to hold within this year ground-breaking ceremonies for connecting the Gyeongui and Yellow Sea railways and roads.

 2 The two Koreas agreed to normalize operations of the Gaeseong Industrial Complex and tours to Mount Geumgang once necessary conditions are met as well as to discuss the issue of creating a joint special economic zone along the Yellow Sea and a special tourism zone along the East Sea.
Infrastructure and reconstruction
Page 1:
 2. The two Koreas agreed to further boost exchanges and cooperation based on mutual reciprocity and co-prosperity as well as devise substantial ways to advance national economy in a balanced manner.

 1 The two Koreas agreed to hold within this year ground-breaking ceremonies for connecting the Gyeongui and Yellow Sea railways and roads.
National economic plan
No specific mention.
Natural resources
No specific mention.
International funds
No specific mention.
Business
No specific mention.
Taxation
No specific mention.
Banks
No specific mention.

Land, property and environment

Land reform/rights
No specific mention.
Pastoralist/nomadism rights
No specific mention.
Cultural heritage
Promotion
Page 2:
 4. The two Koreas agreed to actively pursue cooperation and exchanges in a wide array of areas to promote the mood of reconciliation and unity as well as to boast the unyielding spirit of the Korean people both inside and outside of their countries.

 1 The two Koreas agreed to further boost exchanges in culture and arts, starting with a performance in Seoul in October by a Pyongyang art troupe.

 2 The two Koreas agreed to jointly take part in international competitions, including the 2020 Summer Olympics, and to seek to jointly host the 2032 Summer Olympics.

 3 The two Koreas agreed to hold ceremonies to mark the eleventh anniversary of the October 4th joint declaration and to jointly commemorate the 100th anniversary of the March 1st independence movement. To this end, they agreed to hold working-level consultations.
Environment
Page 2:
3 In a bid to conserve and restore the natural ecosystem, the two Koreas agreed to actively pursue cooperation on environmental issues, starting with producing results in cooperation on forestry currently under way.

 4 The two Koreas agreed to boost cooperation in health and medicine, including emergency steps on preventing infectious diseases from entering or spreading on the peninsula.
Water or riparian rights or access
No specific mention.

Security sector

Security Guarantees
Page 1:
 1. The two Koreas agreed to end hostility at fortified regions, including the Demilitarized Zone, and continue such momentum by seeking to remove all real risks of war on the Korean Peninsula and resolve hostile relations.

1 The two Koreas agreed to adopt a military accord on implementing the Panmunjeom Declaration as a side agreement of the Pyongyang Declaration, and to thoroughly observe and execute the accord. They also agreed to take substantial steps to make the Korean Peninsula a permanent peace zone.

2 The two Koreas agreed to swiftly operate a joint military committee to inspect the status of the implementation of the military accord. They also agreed to engage in close communication and consultation at all times to prevent armed clashes of accidental nature.

Page 2:
5. The two Koreas agreed that the Korean Peninsula must become a place of peace that is free of nuclear weapons and nuclear threats and for that aim, the two Koreas shared the view that they must swiftly make necessary headway.

 1 North Korea agreed to permanently dismantle its missile engine test facility and missile launch tower in Dongchang-ri in the presence of experts from related countries.

 2 North Korea expressed intent to take further steps, including permanently dismantling the Yongbyon nuclear facility, if the United States takes corresponding steps in line with the spirit of the June 12th joint statement.

 3 The two Koreas agreed to engage in close cooperation in the process of pursuing the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
Ceasefire
General commitments
Page 1:
 1. The two Koreas agreed to end hostility at fortified regions, including the Demilitarized Zone, and continue such momentum by seeking to remove all real risks of war on the Korean Peninsula and resolve hostile relations.
Police
No specific mention.
Armed forces
No specific mention.
DDR
No specific mention.
Intelligence services
No specific mention.
Parastatal/rebel and opposition group forces
No specific mention.
Withdrawal of foreign forces
No specific mention.
Corruption
No specific mention.
Crime/organised crime
No specific mention.
Drugs
No specific mention.
Terrorism
No specific mention.

Transitional justice

Transitional justice general
No specific mention.
Amnesty/pardon
No specific mention.
Courts
No specific mention.
Mechanism
No specific mention.
Prisoner release
No specific mention.
Vetting
No specific mention.
Victims
No specific mention.
Missing persons
No specific mention.
Reparations
No specific mention.
Reconciliation
Page 1:
 The two leaders reaffirmed the principles of self-reliance and self-determination of the Korean people and agreed to consistently and continuously advance inter-Korean ties for reconciliation, cooperation, peace and joint prosperity. They also agreed to exert joint efforts to realize, through policies, the people's aim and hope for improved inter-Korean ties to lead to unification.

 The two leaders sincerely and extensively discussed issues on further boosting inter-Korean ties to a higher level through the thorough implementation of the Panmunjeom Declaration. They also shared the view that the Pyongyang summits will become a major turning point in history.

Implementation

UN signatory
No specific mention.
Other international signatory
No specific mention.
Referendum for agreement
No specific mention.
International mission/force/similar
No specific mention.
Enforcement mechanism
No specific mention.

The University of Edinburgh