After an inter-Korean summit at Panmunjeom and historic meeting between leaders Kim Jong Un of North Korea and President Moon Jae-In of South Korea, both countries have agreed to declare a formal end to the Korean War later this year, 65 years after hostilities ceased. They also announced that they plan to denuclearize their peninsula, but have yet to specify how this will be achieved. A peace treaty is being sought through three-way negotiations with the US, or possibly four-way with the US and China.

President Trump is expected the meet with Kim Jong Un in the coming months, although he has already given “his blessing” for the Koreas to discuss a peace treaty. He praised early Friday morning in a tweet, “KOREAN WAR TO END! The United States, and all of its GREAT people, should be proud of what is now taking place in Korea!” This all comes a week after North Korea unexpectedly announced its decision to stop all missile and nuclear tests, as well as completely shut down their nuclear testing sight. President Moon Jae-In had praised Kim Jong Un’s decision, saying they both confirmed that “realizing a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula is our shared goal.”

President Moon and Kim Jong Un have also agreed to meeting again on August 15, 2018, in Pyongyang to hold a reunion for families who were separated by the Korean War. Moon said that he and Kim have agreed to cooperate in establishing “permanent peace.” He went on to state, “We agreed to take the lead in deciding the fate of our people, but cooperate to win the support and cooperation of the International community.”

Kim said that the first step will be putting past agreements into effect, adding, “Above all, we share a firm will to open a new era in which the entire race lives in a peaceful land without war, and agreed on practical measures.”

With more meetings and negotiations to occur throughout the year, the process of achieving peace is underway on the Korean Peninsula.