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North Korean Nuclear Issue Directly Linked to NPT Integrity; Phased Denuclearization to Be Pursued
🇰🇷 South Korea /Energy & Infrastructure

North Korean Nuclear Issue Directly Linked to NPT Integrity; Phased Denuclearization to Be Pursued

From Dong-A Ilbo · (13m ago) Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • South Korea's chief nuclear envoy stated that North Korea's nuclear issue is directly linked to the integrity of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
  • He proposed a phased denuclearization plan involving suspension, reduction, and dismantlement, urging North Korea to return to its international obligations.
  • The envoy also called for increased transparency and dialogue among nuclear-weapon states to address growing nuclear threats and strengthen the NPT regime.

At the United Nations Headquarters in New York, South Korea's top nuclear envoy, Jeong Yeon-doo, Director-General of the Foreign Ministry's Strategy and Information Center, delivered a crucial address at the 11th NPT Review Conference. He firmly stated that the North Korean nuclear issue is intrinsically tied to the comprehensiveness of the NPT, emphasizing Seoul's commitment to a phased denuclearization approach encompassing suspension, reduction, and dismantlement.

The North Korean nuclear issue is a critical agenda item directly linked to the integrity of the NPT.

— Jeong Yeon-dooDirector-General of the Foreign Ministry's Strategy and Information Center, addressing the NPT Review Conference.

Director-General Jeong articulated that South Korea consistently pursues the goal of complete denuclearization and lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula. He stressed that this objective will be pursued through dialogue and cooperation, implementing the phased denuclearization measures. He further urged North Korea to respond positively to these efforts and rejoin its international commitments under the NPT and UN Security Council resolutions.

Our government, while consistently pursuing the goal of complete denuclearization and the establishment of permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula, will implement a phased denuclearization plan of suspension, reduction, and dismantlement through dialogue and cooperation.

— Jeong Yeon-dooOutlining South Korea's approach to denuclearization.

Addressing the broader security landscape, Jeong highlighted that the current unstable international security environment undermines the credibility and effectiveness of the NPT regime. He called upon NPT member states to reaffirm their commitment to strengthening the treaty's three pillars—disarmament, non-proliferation, and the peaceful use of nuclear energy—by returning to the spirit in which the treaty was originally conceived. He also expressed concern over the growing nuclear threats and the void in arms control among nuclear-weapon states, urging them to engage in dialogue to enhance transparency and build mutual trust. For South Korea, the NPT is not merely a treaty obligation but a strategic imperative, deeply intertwined with the peace, stability, and prosperity of the Korean Peninsula.

The unstable international security environment today is undermining the credibility and effectiveness of the NPT regime.

— Jeong Yeon-dooCommenting on the challenges facing the NPT.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Dong-A Ilbo in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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