Korean Political History I: Chapter 4, Exercise 3 — Possible Solution
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TASK
Explain the difference between an armistice and a peace treaty using the
1953 agreement, name who signed and who did not, and say why the war is
described as frozen.

ANSWER
ARMISTICE: an agreement to stop fighting, here signed by military
representatives, not by governments. It set up the Demilitarized Zone
(about 4 km wide) and a Military Armistice Commission and required
repatriation of willing prisoners within 60 days.
PEACE TREATY: a formal settlement ending the war and restoring relations.
The sources say no formal peace treaty was signed and normal relations were
not restored; a 1954 Geneva Conference aimed at one, and one source says
John Foster Dulles blocked progress.

WHO SIGNED
General Nam Il for North Korea and the Chinese People's Volunteer Army, and
Lieutenant General William Harrison Jr. for the United Nations Command.
WHO DID NOT
South Korea, because President Syngman Rhee opposed any settlement that
failed to unify Korea by force.

WHY "FROZEN"
The fighting stopped but the legal state of war remained: the armistice is
described as technically in force with its supervisory mechanisms largely
inactive, and North Korea has announced withdrawal from it at least six
times.