ARF Chair’s Statement Calls for ‘Complete Denuclearization’ of Korean Peninsula for Second Year
Key Takeaways
- •The ASEAN Regional Forum called for the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula for the second consecutive year in its chair's statement released after the annual foreign ministers' meeting in Manila.
- •North Korea has skipped the ARF meeting for two straight years while deepening its relationship with Russia, including reported transfers of munitions and ballistic missiles that have drawn UN and Western scrutiny.
- •Kim Yo-jong declared in June that North Korea's status as a nuclear-armed state is absolutely irreversible and described it as a line of no retreat.
- •The ARF is the only regional multilateral security forum that includes both South Korea and North Korea among its participants.
- •Diplomatic engagement on denuclearization has remained largely stalled since the February 2019 Hanoi summit between then-U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un ended without an agreement.
A regional security forum has again called for the “complete denuclearization” of the Korean Peninsula, marking the second consecutive year that the phrase has appeared in its chair’s statement and adding diplomatic pressure on North Korea over its nuclear weapons program.
The statement was released Saturday after the annual foreign ministers’ meeting of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) in Manila. It also expressed grave concern over North Korea’s development of nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs.
“The Meeting called for the full implementation of all relevant UNSC Resolutions and noted international efforts to bring about the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula in a peaceful manner,” the statement said, referring to the U.N. Security Council.
Foreign ministers attended the 33rd ASEAN Regional Forum, held as part of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay, Metro Manila, Philippines, on Thursday local time.
North Korea has declared itself a nuclear power in its constitution, adopted a nuclear doctrine and shown no willingness to abandon its nuclear arsenal. Diplomatic engagement on denuclearization has remained largely stalled since the February 2019 summit in Hanoi between then-U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un ended without an agreement.
Kim Yo-jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, said in June that North Korea’s status as a nuclear-armed state is absolutely irreversible. She described it as a “line of no retreat” and vowed not to tolerate any threats against it.
The ARF is the only regional multilateral security forum that includes both South Korea and North Korea. Pyongyang, however, skipped this year’s meeting for the second straight year as it deepened ties with Russia, which have included reported transfers of munitions and ballistic missiles that have drawn scrutiny from the United Nations and Western governments.
This year’s forum brought together ASEAN member states and other countries, including South Korea, the United States, China, Japan and Russia.
ASEAN comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste and Vietnam.