Denuclearization of Korean Peninsula Hinges on US Moves, DPR Korea Tells UN
United Nations, September 28 — Denuclearization is the ultimate aim of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), but achieving a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula depends on whether the United States adjusts its policies, a top official from the East Asian nation told the General Assembly today.
“We have never denied the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and the rest of the world,” Pak Kil Yon, Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs, told the 192-member body’s high-level debate.
Further, the DPRK has done “everything it could to realize the peaceful reunification of the country, remove nuclear threats and sources of war, and secure peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula,” he said.
But the US wants to prevent the region from shedding its nuclear weapons as part of its own Asian strategy, Mr. Pak said.
To realize the Peninsula’s denuclearization, he stressed that the US must “discard the old concept of confrontation and show the ‘change’ in practice.”
The official emphasized that the DPRK’s possesses nuclear weapons to deter war, but stressed that the country will “act in a responsible manner in management, use and non-proliferation” of the arms.
In his address to the Assembly last week, President Lee Myung-bak of the Republic of Korea (ROK) said that peace across North-East Asia hinges on a nuclear weapons-free Korean Peninsula.
“Denuclearization is a prerequisite to paving a path toward genuine reconciliation and unification in the Korean Peninsula, which is the only remaining divided region in the world,” he said.
The ROK, Mr. Lee said, will play an active part in global efforts to dismantle the DPRK’s nuclear programme, urging the country to return to the Six-Party Talks, also involving Japan, China, Russia and the US.
The 1992 Joint Declaration on the Denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula – by which dialogue and exchanges are increased between the two nations – must continue to be the blueprint, he stated.
In June, the Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution condemning the DPRK’s 25 May nuclear test conducted in “violation and flagrant disregard” of relevant Council resolutions, a move that Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon sent a “clear and strong” message to Pyongyang.
The June resolution also demanded that the DPRK “not conduct any further nuclear test or any launch using ballistic missile technology.”
RELATED
- North Korea says strives for nuclear-free peninsula Reuters India
- US must change Pyongyang policy: NKorean diplomat AFP
- North Korea warns U.S. against sanctions over nuclear program RIA Novosti
- N. Korea urges U.S. to discard policy of ‘confrontation’ Yonhap News
- Nkorea promises UN to combat nuclear proliferation Reuters
- Korean Peninsula’s denuclearization depends on change of U.S. policy People’s Daily
- North Korea warns against sanctions AP
From the website of the United Nations,
General Debate of the 64th Session (2009) by Democratic People’s Republic of Korea H.E. Mr. Pak Kil Yon, Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs
Full text (PDF): English
Video (Real Player): English / Original Language [14 min] (As delivered)
In the list of related stories, “North Korea says strives for nuclear-free peninsula, Reuters India” is about the remarks by Ja Song Nam, DPRK Ambassador to UK.
N Korea urges US to discard policy of ‘confrontation’
New York, September 28 (Yonhap) — A senior North Korean diplomat warned Monday that his country will beef up its nuclear arsenal unless the United States changes its policy of “confrontation” towards Pyongyang but said it will also respond to dialogue.
“The denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula depends on whether or not the U.S. changes its policy towards Korea,” North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Pak Kil-yon said in a speech at the U.N. General Assembly.
The envoy also said his government will “react to dialogue with dialogue.”
“If the U.S. comes to dialogue with ’sanctions’, we will also participate in dialogue with bolstered nuclear deterrence,” Pak, former ambassador to the U.N., said in the speech. “In order to realize the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, the U.S. administration must discard its old concept of confrontation and show the ‘change’ that it recently stated on several occasions, in practice.”
He reaffirmed that the communist state, aiming for a nuclear-free peninsula, is willing to replace the ceasefire that effectively ended the 1950-53 Korean War with a permanent peace agreement and sign a nonaggression treaty with Washington.
The speech was mostly a repeat of the North’s stated stance and a renewed call for bilateral dialogue with the U.S. to discuss the mentioned issues.
The U.S. has said it was open to direct talks with the North, but only to persuade it to return to the six-nation denuclearization forum also involving South Korea, China, Russia and Japan.
U.S. officials, however, have not set a date or venue, and have not detailed the characteristics of such a one-on-one meeting. They stress that the Obama administration will keep pushing for the implementation of the U.N. sanctions on the North for its nuclear test in May, even if the two sides are engaged in bilateral talks.
“I think one of the lessons that the United States has learned in this process is a certain degree of patience pays off,” Kurt Campbell, assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs told reporters in Washington. “I think we’re in the process now of planning our next steps in terms of diplomacy in Northeast Asia.”
He was referring to the ongoing tour of Asia by Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg. He was to arrive in Seoul on Tuesday night (local time) from Beijing for discussions on how to deal with North Korea.
Steinberg is scheduled to have a breakfast meeting with Kim Sung-hwan, senior secretary to President Lee Myung-bak for security and foreign affairs, and Seoul’s top nuclear envoy Wi Sung-lac on Wednesday, followed by a meeting with Vice Foreign Minister Kwon Jong-rak. He will then fly to Tokyo, the last leg of his five-nation trip which also took him to Vietnam and Malaysia.
China, the host of the six-party talks, will be also sending Premier Wen Jiabao to Pyongyang next week, a trip closely watched as an opportunity to glean North Korea’s intentions.
Diplomatic sources in Beijing said the North’s leader Kim Jong-il may make an important proposal on the disarmament talks in his meeting with Wen.
Source: Yonhap News – 2009/09/29 11:32 KST