South Korea underscored a phased and flexible approach to North Korea's denuclearization at an NPT-related event in New York. The foreign ministry stressed maintaining the goal of complete denuclearization while pursuing adaptable strategies amid shifting conditions. The event was co-hosted with France.
South Korea's foreign ministry said on May 6 that it underscored a phased and flexible approach to North Korea's denuclearization at an event in New York on Tuesday (U.S. time) addressing Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions and challenges to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) regime.
The event, co-hosted with France on the sidelines of the 11th U.N. NPT Review Conference, drew around 70 participants from governments, academia, and international organizations. Ha Wi-young, director-general for international security at the ministry, stressed maintaining the goal of North Korea's complete denuclearization.
He raised the need for flexible strategies, including phased approaches, citing shifting strategic conditions around the Korean Peninsula. South Korea and France have jointly organized such North Korea-related events since 2017 during U.N. NPT conferences.
Kim Sang-jin, South Korea's deputy ambassador to the U.N., noted advancements in North Korea's nuclear and missile programs, the dissolving of a U.N. Security Council experts sanctions panel, and deepening Pyongyang-Moscow ties as complicating factors. He added South Korea will continue practical efforts for denuclearization and to bring North Korea back to dialogue.
Participants reaffirmed that North Korea's continued nuclear activities pose a serious challenge to the global non-proliferation regime and called for flexible and creative measures to uphold NPT integrity, the ministry said.
