The newspaper added that it is "abnormal" to see distrust and animosity going on between the North and the US even now, saying that it is time to take action toward declaring an end to the war.

In an April summit, President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un agreed to seek such declaration this year through three-way meetings involving the two Koreas and the United States or four-way talks involving the two Koreas, the US and China.

The North apparently wants it to ensure the security of its regime. The US remains cautious as it wants to see progress in denuclearization talks first.

Declaring an end to the war is regarded as symbolic and political but also seen as a prelude to the replacement of the current Armistice Agreement with a peace treaty.

South and North Korea technically remain at war as the Korean War ended only with the armistice treaty.

The newspaper emphasized that North Korea has long made calls for declaring an end to the war and pushed to replace the armistice with a peace treaty, all of which it believes can be realized when the two sides cooperate. (Yonhap)