South Korea, US, Japan reaffirm North Korea denuclearisation
· Security · South Korea · North Korea
The top diplomats of South Korea, the United States and Japan reaffirmed their "resolute commitment" to complete denuclearisation of North Korea. Pyongyang said sanctions do not work to deny its status as a nuclear weapons state, and some countries had called on UN members to fully implement sanctions resolutions banning North Korean workers. North Korea's Defence Ministry denounced South Korea-US Freedom Flag air defence drills as raising tensions, while Seoul said it would respond firmly to North Korean breaches of the border after a September DMZ landmine blast wounded soldiers.
Why it matters：The coordinated stance sets the diplomatic baseline for any new US-North Korea talks, which South Korea fears could sideline it.
Key points
- Three-way statement reaffirmed the denuclearisation goal
- North Korea rejected sanctions as a way to change its nuclear status
- North Korea criticised South Korea-US air defence drills