TWO KOREAS INTO ONE: IT WON'T BE AN EASY SOLUTION

Fifty years ago, the United States was on the verge of sending troops to Korea for a harsh conflict that was to leave the country divided. Family members split by the hostilities, in many instances, haven't had contact with each other for half a century.

Since the end of the Korean War, which left more than 30,000 Americans and more than 2 million Koreans dead, relations between the two halves of Korea have been tense and, at times, deadly. For the most part, the standoff between North Korean and South Korean represents the last vestiges of the Cold War.

The north, aligned with communist backers, has come to rely on international relief just to feed its hungry citizens. Despite starvation and other hardships, the North Koreans have managed to develop an arsenal of nuclear weapons.

In 1991, both sides agreed to pursue reconciliation, and six years ago they set up a summit.

But Kim Il Sung, the aged North Korean leader, died just weeks before the planned meeting. This week, leaders from the two Koreas concluded a three-day summit that resulted in pledge to continue the reconciliation efforts that one day could lead to full reunification.

For many Koreans, north and south, this week's summit was a historic event full of emotional portent. But prickly issues must be addressed before any meaningful easing of tensions can occur.

There is North Korea's demand that the United States withdraw its 37,000 troops from the Demilitarized Zone, the 2 1/2-mile-wide barren swath that keeps soldiers on both sides on full alert at all times. In the latter part of the 1970s, U.S. policy was to withdraw troops gradually in hopes the two Koreas could resolve their own differences. But by the time Ronald Reagan became president, it was apparent the absence of a U.S. military presence could tip the balance and lead to further military conflict. Reagan ended the pullout, and U.S. troops have helped guard the DMZ ever since.

Then there is the question of what North Korea might do with its nuclear arsenal. Branded a rogue nation because of its unsettled military situation, North Korea is seen as a threat to world stability that could be undone at any moment by a careless attack.

Clearly, the benefits of reunification and a cessation to hostilities are clear, both to the two Koreas and to international observers. But undoing 50 years of division isn't going to happen overnight. The first steps have been taken. It will be up to leaders of both Koreas to keep their word and pursue a lasting solution.