The United States, South Korea and Japan have reiterated their longstanding call for North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons, issuing a joint call for “complete denuclearisation” on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Atlanta on Thursday.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi “reaffirmed their resolute commitment to the complete denuclearisation” of North Korea, according to a readout from the US Department of State. The three also pledged the “full implementation” of United Nations Security Council resolutions, including a ban on supporting revenue for North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.
The statement comes despite repeated overtures to North Korea by US President Donald Trump, who held a series of historic summits with its leader, Kim Jong Un, during his first term in office and has continued to call Kim a “friend”. Last year, Trump bucked a long-held US policy by conceding that North Korea was already “sort of a nuclear power”. More recently, he has played down concerns about North Korea’s nuclear programme and expressed a desire to meet Kim again. Speculation is mounting that the two leaders could reconnect at next month’s APEC summit in China, which Trump is due to attend. Analysts and South Korea’s spy agency say Kim may have conveyed Pyongyang’s position on potential talks with Trump to Beijing during a recent visit to the Chinese border city of Dandong.
South Korea’s dovish President Lee Jae Myung, who has repeatedly offered Pyongyang talks without preconditions, suggested in September that Washington seek a freeze, rather than the immediate elimination, of the North’s nuclear programme in return for sanctions relief. Critics have said such an approach risks tacitly accepting North Korea as a nuclear-armed state while allowing Pyongyang to win sanctions relief without giving up its arsenal.
Despite long-running UN sanctions, North Korea, which is backed by Russia and China, has enshrined its status as a nuclear-armed state in law. Pyongyang’s government has declared its atomic arsenal to be permanent and irreversible. Pyongyang denounced a joint statement on Saturday by a group of nations monitoring sanctions implementation against it, pledging that “the stereotyped sanctions racket of the US and the West can neither influence the position of the DPRK (North Korea) as a nuclear weapons state.”
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The renewed call underscores a persistent gap between the US-led policy of demanding full denuclearisation and North Korea's declared permanence of its nuclear arsenal, setting the stage for potential confrontation or diplomatic realignment.
- Trump's conciliatory posture and possible engagement with Kim at the APEC summit could either undermine or reshape the three allies' unified stance, affecting regional security dynamics.
- South Korea's suggestion of a freeze-for-relief deal introduces a practical policy debate that, if pursued, could shift the international approach to North Korea's nuclear programme.
Background
The US, South Korea and Japan have long coordinated on North Korea policy, pushing for UN-backed sanctions to pressure Pyongyang into abandoning its nuclear weapons. But Trump's personal diplomacy and his description of Kim as a “friend”, along with his concession that North Korea is “sort of a nuclear power”, have blurred the hard line the three allies traditionally maintain.
Key Perspectives
US, South Korea and Japan (via joint statement): Reaffirm a “resolute commitment to the complete denuclearisation” of North Korea and the “full implementation” of UN Security Council resolutions.
North Korea (via Pyongyang's government): Denounced the sanctions-monitoring group's statement and called the sanctions a “stereotyped sanctions racket”, declaring that it cannot influence the DPRK's position as a nuclear weapons state.
South Korea's President Lee Jae Myung: Suggested in September that Washington seek a freeze of North Korea's nuclear programme in return for sanctions relief, rather than immediate elimination.
Critics of Lee's suggestion: Have said such an approach risks tacitly accepting North Korea as a nuclear-armed state while allowing Pyongyang to win sanctions relief without giving up its arsenal.
What to Watch
- Whether Trump and Kim meet at the APEC summit in China next month and what, if any, terms are discussed.
- Any shift in South Korea's official stance, particularly if Washington signals openness to Lee's freeze-for-relief proposal.
- Reactions from Russia and China, who back North Korea, could influence the effectiveness of any renewed sanctions push.
Checked
11 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 10 supported.
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- SupportedThe US, South Korea and Japan renewed their call for North Korea to denuclearise.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “The United States, South Korea and Japan have reiterated their longstanding call for North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons”
- SupportedThe countries’ top diplomats reaffirmed their commitment on the sidelines of the G20 meeting in Atlanta, despite Trump’s overtures to North Korea.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “The three countries addressed the issue on the sidelines of the Group of 20 (G20) meeting in the US city of Atlanta on Thursday, with their top diplomats reaffirming their “resolute commitment to the complete denuclearisation” of North Korea”
- Partly supportedThe diplomats “reaffirmed their resolute commitment to the complete denuclearisation” of North Korea.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “with their top diplomats reaffirming their “resolute commitment to the complete denuclearisation” of North Korea”
- SupportedThe three countries pledged the “full implementation” of UN Security Council resolutions, including a ban on supporting revenue for North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “also pledged the “full implementation” of United Nations Security Council resolutions, including a ban on supporting revenue for North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.”
- SupportedTrump held a series of historic summits with Kim Jong Un during his first term and has continued to call him a “friend”.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “who held a series of historic summits with its leader, Kim Jong Un, during his first term in office and has continued to call Kim a “friend””
- SupportedLast year, Trump said North Korea was already “sort of a nuclear power”.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “Last year, Trump bucked a long-held US policy by conceding that North Korea was already “sort of a nuclear power”.”
- SupportedAnalysts and South Korea’s spy agency said Kim may have conveyed Pyongyang’s position on potential talks with Trump to Beijing during a recent visit to Dandong.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “Analysts and South Korea’s spy agency say Kim may have conveyed Pyongyang’s position on potential talks with Trump to Beijing during a recent visit to the Chinese border city of Dandong.”
- SupportedLee suggested in September that Washington seek a freeze on North Korea’s nuclear programme in return for sanctions relief, rather than immediate elimination.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “suggested in September that Washington seek a freeze, rather than the immediate elimination, of the North’s nuclear programme in return for sanctions relief.”
- SupportedCritics said the approach risks tacitly accepting North Korea as a nuclear-armed state while letting it gain sanctions relief without giving up its arsenal.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “Critics have said such an approach risks tacitly accepting North Korea as a nuclear-armed state while allowing Pyongyang to win sanctions relief without giving up its arsenal.”
- SupportedNorth Korea has enshrined its status as a nuclear-armed state in law, and its government has declared its arsenal permanent and irreversible.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “North Korea, which is backed by Russia and China, has enshrined its status as a nuclear-armed state in law. Pyongyang’s government has declared its atomic arsenal to be permanent and irreversible.”
- SupportedPyongyang denounced a joint statement on Saturday by nations monitoring sanctions implementation and said the sanctions “can neither influence the position of the DPRK (North Korea) as a nuclear weapons state.”Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “Pyongyang denounced a joint statement on Saturday by a group of nations monitoring sanctions implementation against it, pledging that “the stereotyped sanctions racket of the US and the West can neither influence the position of the DPRK (North Korea) as a nuclear weapons state.””