This is because peace and security on the peninsula are very important and vital for the destiny of humankind.

In last August the situation reached the brink of a war due to a minor incident which occurred for an unknown reason. This made the world community feel once again the urgent need to ensure peace on the peninsula.

The incident is just the tip of the iceberg of unstable incidents that are attributable to the Korean Armistice Agreement which exists in name only.

Peace has not yet settled on the peninsula though 60 years have passed since the conclusion of the AA.

The contradiction and conflict between the DPRK and the U.S. have escalated and an unstable situation has persisted on the Korean Peninsula.

Now huge forces level their guns at each other with the Military Demarcation Line in between on the peninsula. Ceaseless military exercises under various codenames are being staged by the U.S. and south Korea.

The peace on the peninsula is fragile.

The conclusion of the DPRK-U.S. peace treaty is an important issue for ensuring world peace and security.

The interests of big powers are geo-politically intertwined in Northeast Asia. A new world war may break out in this part of world as huge military forces are deployed and it has tremendous economic potentials.

The ever-increasing tension on the peninsula may spark a war any moment and the war can spill over into a global nuclear war straight away.

A basic way of preventing this serious situation is to replace the outdated AA by a new peace treaty at an early date and establish lasting peace on the peninsula.

The replacement of the AA by a peace treaty is a key to settling the issue and a unique way of ensuring durable peace and stability on the peninsula.

As the DPRK did in the past, it officially clarified its stand to replace the AA with a peace treaty and requested the U.S. to opt for the conclusion of the peace treaty in the light of the gravity of the present situation on a series of occasions including the 70th UN General Assembly. .

The U.S. was the main party to the AA.

The U.S. is the de factor ruler of south Korea and it has the prerogative of command over its army.

Dialogue to be held between the DPRK and the U.S., long-time belligerent parties, should be substantial negotiations targeting the defusing of hostility, not dialogue for mere form's sake aimed at "stable management of situation".

The U.S. should make a proper choice, pondering over the proposal of the DPRK and show before the international community its will for settling the issue of the peninsula and ensuring regional peace.

If the U.S. makes a bold switchover in its policy, the security environment of the peninsula will witness a dramatic change and the U.S. will also be cleared of its security concerns.

The U.S. should understand the changed situation. It should never doubt the DPRK's nuclear capability to defend itself from former's nuclear attack.

The situation on the peninsula has entered into an important phase of change.

The world is closely watching how the U.S. approaches the issue of concluding the peace treaty.