But the intent was never fulfilled and no peace pact resulting in the dismantling of the world's last Cold War frontier formed by the 1950-1953 war has ever been signed.

The armistice agreement, which was inked on July 27 in 1953, has constantly been challenged by lingering tension and often been put at risk by the threat of nullification.

The goal of the accord was to bring an end to hostilities which began with North Korea's invasion of South Korea and soon expanded to include the US-led allied forces on the South and the Chinese communists on the North.

The agreement, signed by US Lieutenant General William Harrison and North Korean Army General Nam Il, spells out in clear terms the temporary nature of the document that should last only "until a final peaceful settlement is achieved."

Half a century later that settlement is as elusive as ever,

Mutual distrust has frustrated follow-up diplomatic efforts to work out a peace treaty to replace the armistice accord.

The agreement calls for the suspending of hostile acts, the setting up of a four kilometer (2.4 mile) wide buffer area called the demilitarized zoneto separate opposing armies and the repatriation of prisoners of war.

While both Koreas stopped full-scale fighting, neither side kept key armistice pledges including the injunction to refrain from "any hostile act within, from, or against the demilitarized zone (Article I-6)."

North and South Korea, which have nearly two million armed troops positioned along the border, have regularly accused each other of breaking the truce.

South Korea cites as major violations the infiltration by a group of North Korean commandoes on a mission to assassinate the South Korean president in 1968. They were stopped short of the presidential Blue House in Seoul and killed in a shootout. Terrorist attacks and infiltration by submarine have also been cited by the South.

North Korea constantly denounces South Korea's mlitary build-up or drills and stepped-up US aerial espionage over the communist country.

The armistice remains fragile and fighting still breaks out. Most recently North and South Korea engaged in a deadly naval skirmish in the Yellow Sea in June last year with six crew killed and dozens wounded on the South Korean side.

North Korea has said in the past that it does not recognize the terms of the armistice accord. In March, North Korea threatened to pull out of the armistice altogether, accusing the United States of violating the truce by launching a massive US-South Korean military drill backed by an aircraft carrier.

Pyongyang calls for the signing of a US-North Korean peace treaty and the withdrawal of US troops from South Korea.

WAR.WIRE