North and South Korea Sign Historic Reconciliation Pact

The North said it would allow the U.S. to lead a group of experts to Pyongyang within two weeks “to prepare for disablement” of its nuclear facilities, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Wu Dawei said in Beijing. The U.S. wants the dismantling process to be so thorough that a nuclear facility could not be made operational for at least 12 months.

The North and South also pledged to boost economic ties between the longtime foes, open regular cargo railway service along restored tracks crossing their heavily armed border and create a joint fishing zone on their disputed sea frontier.

North Korea pledged to detail its nuclear programs and disable all activities at its main reactor complex by year’s end, then signed a wide-ranging reconciliation pact with South Korea Thursday promising to finally seek a peace treaty to replace the 1953 cease-fire that ended the Korean War.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Il and South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun also said they would open regular links across their heavily fortified border under the deal struck a day after the North made its firmest commitment yet to nuclear disarmament.

Kim and Roh signed the wide-ranging agreement promising cooperation for peace after three days of summit meetings in Pyongyang, the second such meeting between the countries.

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Born and raised very humbly in a “small town” in southern California, I was a product of different worlds. Literally, part of my family descends from Mexico the rest from Portugal and Uruguay. This mixture had kept me from supporting any racist psyche found...