SEOUL — The United States is willing to sign a peace treaty with North Korea to formally end the 1950-53 Korean War by September, the U.S. ambassador to South Korea reportedly told lawmakers here. U.S. Ambassador Alexander Vershbow said Washington hopes to complete a process of normalizing diplomatic ties with Pyongyang, according to Kim Jong-Yul from the ruling Uri Party. Kim released to local media a transcript that had been translated into Korean following a May 9 closed-door meeting between Vershbow and five Uri Party lawmakers, including Rep. Kim Hyuk-Kyu, a close confidant of President Roh Moo-Hyun.
The meeting was arranged to discuss security policies after a recent visit to North Korea by a group of Uri lawmakers led by Kim Hyuk-Kyu. The lawmakers said they conveyed North Korea's denuclearization commitment to Vershbow at the meeting.