It may surprise many readers to hear that the Korean leaders have planned to officially cut the hostility off the Korean peninsula nearly 65 years after the actual fighting ceased. The leaders of the two countries came to the consensus that “A new era of peace has began,” and are in the beginning motions to reunify the peninsula and bring an end to the post-cold war tension.

The 65 peaceful years of the waging war were eerily similar to the circumstances of East and West Germany. The Korean War split families on either side, and many have been unable to connect with kin in the neighboring country. It’s believed by many that it’s too late to save all citizens who’d been separated, since it’s been so many decades and a vast few have passed on, but those still apart deserve to be reunified.

To make it clear, the Korean War has still not been officially ended, even with this news coming out. The leaders of North and South Korea, Kim Jong Un and Moon Jae-in, have agreed to a complete denuclearization of the peninsula as the first step towards peace. The moment the decision was made was historical in more ways than just the end to a war- it served at the first time a North Korean leader had ever stepped foot into it’s southern partner. Kim Jong Un and Moon Jae-in met at the border village of Panmunjom to emphasize these historic diplomatic power moves. Kim, the notorious North Korean leader who used to get his kicks off through spontaneous missile launches, even shared the following statement in an entry he wrote in the guest book at the Peace House located in Panmunjom: “A new history begins now… an age of peace, at the starting point of history.” The two leaders agreed to speak regularly to one another via phone, end propaganda broadcasts in each others countries, and to meet again in the near future to discuss the final end to the war. These decisions, spearheaded by the Korean nations, needed to be ran by both China and the U.S. for thoughts and comments, since the four nations were each involved in the initial tension that took over the sister countries. Washington and Beijing welcomed the idea of denuclearization with open arms… to an extent. In the meantime of peace, China and the U.S. have bee butting heads regarding trade issues thanks to Trump’s newest policies. China has shared that the country wishes to play a positive role in the newly forming relationships. On another hand, a treaty can only be signed between nations with diplomatic relationships, meaning the U.S. must recognize North Korea in that way. In order to formally recognize North Korea, the U.S. must speak with China, who were the backers of North Korea during the Cold War. A treaty with the U.S. has always been one of Kim Jong Un’s circumstances for denuclearization. Therefore, the tension between China and America and the necessity of communication between the two countries could cause complications in reaching peace in Korea.

Despite implications, the parties involved all have the idea of peace seeded in their minds. With hearts and consciousness in the right place, it’s hopeful that a peaceful decision will soon be made.