US, SOUTH KOREA, JAPAN VOW ‘COMPLETE’ DENUCLEARIZATION OF NORTH KOREA

South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi on Friday, marking their first trilateral meeting in about a month.

“The Secretary and Foreign Ministers reaffirmed their resolute commitment to the complete denuclearization” of North Korea and the full implementation of UN Security Council resolutions, the US State Department said in a readout.

The three ministers also called on North Korea to join efforts to ease tensions and establish lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula, according to South Korea’s foreign ministry.

They agreed to maintain a robust deterrence posture against North Korea through close coordination while continuing efforts to achieve peace, stability and denuclearization on the peninsula through dialogue and diplomacy.

Cho emphasized that South Korea would fulfill its role as a “pacemaker” in efforts to establish a peace regime on the Korean Peninsula and resume dialogue between Washington and Pyongyang, in close coordination with the US.

The three ministers also underscored the need to enforce UN sanctions prohibiting activities that generate revenue for Pyongyang’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs, while commending the work of the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team in exposing North Korea’s sanctions violations and evasion.

They emphasized the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, according to the State Department.

WHY IT MATTERS

The trilateral meeting is a show of unity among the three allies at a time when North Korea has shown no willingness to abandon its nuclear programme.

Pyongyang has repeatedly rejected calls for denuclearization, and the possibility of new talks with Washington remains uncertain.

The US, South Korea and Japan are signalling that they will maintain pressure on North Korea while keeping the door open to dialogue.

For the region, the stakes are high.

A nuclear-armed North Korea poses a threat not only to its neighbours but to the broader international community. The reaffirmation of the denuclearization goal is a reminder that the issue remains unresolved.

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The talks have ended. The commitment has been reaffirmed. But the question of whether North Korea will ever give up its nuclear weapons remains unanswered. ValidViewNetwork reports.