South, U.S., Japan repeat denuclearization message to North

Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, right, takes a photo with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, center, and Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya in New York on Sept. 22, following a trilateral meeting on the sidelines of the 78th United Nations General Assembly. [YONHAP]

 
Despite North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s recent public declaration rejecting the idea, the foreign ministers of South Korea, the United States and Japan on Sunday reaffirmed their firm commitment to the “complete denuclearization” of North Korea.
 
In a joint statement issued after a trilateral meeting in New York during the 78th United Nations General Assembly, South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya said they remain committed to maintaining “peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula through dialogue and diplomacy.”
 
The Secretary and Foreign Ministers confirmed “their resolute commitment to the complete denuclearization of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea [DPRK] in accordance with the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions [UNSCRs],” referring to North Korea by its official name.
 
It was the first joint statement issued by the three countries at the ministerial level since the start of the Lee Jae Myung administration in June.
 
The statement came less than a day after North Korea released a speech by Kim in which he said that demanding denuclearization was tantamount to asking Pyongyang to violate its Constitution, and that such negotiations would never happen.
 

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un speaks during the 13th session of the 14th Supreme People’s Assembly in Pyongyang from Sept. 20 to 21. [KCNA]

 
The renewed emphasis on denuclearization by the three ministers was seen as a clear message that Seoul, Washington and Tokyo remain aligned in their stance, despite Pyongyang’s rhetoric.
 
The ministers also expressed “serious concerns” over growing military cooperation between North Korea and Russia, including possible Russian support for North Korean long-range missile capabilities. This marked the first time a joint statement by the three included such specific language, referencing “long-range missiles.”
 
Earlier this month, North Korea officially unveiled the development of its new Hwasong-20 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), raising speculation about potential Russian technical assistance.
 
Still, subtle differences have emerged over terminology. While the joint statement explicitly referred to the “complete denuclearization” of North Korea, Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a separate press release using the phrase “denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula,” raising questions about consistency.
 
Last month, President Lee and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba also reaffirmed their commitment to the “complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula” following a summit in Tokyo.
 
However, after the first Korea-U. S. foreign ministers’ meeting in July, Korea’s Foreign Ministry used the phrase “complete denuclearization of North Korea.” The differing terminology suggests that the Lee administration has yet to establish a clearly defined position on what denuclearization entails.
 
Analysts say this discrepancy may reflect concerns in Seoul about provoking Pyongyang. North Korea has long interpreted “denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula” to include the withdrawal of U.S. forces from South Korea and the removal of the American nuclear umbrella. In contrast, UN Security Council resolutions specifically call for denuclearization by North Korea alone.
 

Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun attends a trilateral meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya in New York on Sept. 22, on the sidelines of the 78th United Nations General Assembly. [YONHAP]

 
The joint statement also emphasized that three countries’ “need to address together the DPRK’s nuclear and missile programs and to maintain and strengthen the sanctions regime against the DPRK by responding firmly and in cooperation with other countries to violations and evasions of the relevant UNSCRs.”
 
It called on all UN member states to fully comply with the sanctions regime.
 
Notably, the latest statement omitted references to serious human rights violations in North Korea, which had appeared in previous trilateral statements. Of the three ministers, only South Korea’s top diplomat has changed since then, raising the possibility that Seoul requested the omission.
 
The U.S. side also reiterated its “ironclad commitments” to the defense of both South Korea and Japan, backed by the full range of U.S. capabilities, including nuclear deterrence.
 
“The United States reaffirmed its extended deterrence commitments to Japan and [South Korea], which are critically important to the security and stability of the Korean Peninsula and the broader Indo-Pacific region,” the statement reads.
 
The inclusion of extended deterrence in a formal joint document is particularly significant, given the absence of such language in statements following the South Korea-U.S. summit in August.
 
Regarding regional security, the three nations reconfirmed their opposition to “any attempts to change the status quo including dangerous and destabilizing actions in the waters of the Indo-Pacific, including the South China Sea,” and expressed support for Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organizations.
 
However, stronger language from the April statement was not included, possibly to avoid provoking Beijing ahead of a potential meeting between U.S. and Chinese leaders at the upcoming APEC summit next month.
 
The three ministers also discussed strengthening cooperation on economic security and advanced technology. According to South Korea’s Foreign Ministry, Cho requested U.S. cooperation in preventing the recurrence of incidents involving the detention of Korean nationals, and called for institutional improvements and new visa measures.
 
Secretary Rubio responded that while the matter falls under bilateral issues, Washington would work closely with Seoul to resolve it swiftly, considering the strong alliance between the two countries.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY SHIM SEOK-YONG [[email protected]]