Koreas seek peace deal to end Cold War

The leaders of North and South Korea, whose countries are still formally at war, have agreed to try and reach a peace deal.

The agreement comes just a day after the North signed up to an international deal to disable its nuclear facilities.

But some experts said the pledges - at only the second summit between North and South Korea - were limited and believe the hermit North is reluctant to break much new ground.

After their three-day meeting in Pyongyang, President Roh Moo-hyun and North Korean leader Kim Jong-il said in a joint statement: "North and South Korea shared the view they must end the current armistice and build a permanent peace regime,"

They will push for talks next month with China and the US to formally end the 1950-53 Korean War, which technically is still going on because a peace treaty has yet to be signed.

If Beijing and Washington did agree, it would mark an end at last to the Cold War in the region.

But the US has already made clear that one condition would be for Pyongyang to give up all its nuclear weapons.

The two leaders also agreed to set up the first regular freight train service for half a century, linking two countries divided by a heavily fortified border.

There will also be meetings of ministers and defence officials and the establishment of a co-operation zone around a contested sea border on the west of the Korean peninsula.

The summit ended just a day after North Korea agreed to disable the three main nuclear facilities at its Yongbyon site - and a source of material for atomic weapons - and provide a full declaration of all its nuclear programmes by the end of the year.

US President George W Bush praised the nuclear deal with North Korea, a country he once linked with Iran and pre-invasion Iraq as members of an "axis of evil".

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