WNAM REPORT: North Korea cannot be recognized as a nuclear-armed state under the international nonproliferation treaty, and its denuclearization is a principle shared by all parties involved, including South Korea and the United States, Seoul’s foreign ministry said Wednesday.
The ministry made the comments after U.S. Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth described the North as a nuclear power in his written answers submitted to the U.S. Senate for his confirmation hearing Tuesday (U.S. time).
The former Fox News host said the North’s “status as a nuclear power” and its focus on developing missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons pose a threat to stability on the Korean Peninsula and beyond.
“North Korea’s denuclearization has been a principle consistently upheld by South Korea, the United States and the international community,” the ministry said.
“Under the NPT (Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty), North Korea can never be recognized as a nuclear-armed state,” it said.
The ministry also cited the White House reaffirming its position on the North’s denuclearization.
The NPT is an international agreement on preventing the spread of nuclear weapons. Only five countries are acknowledged as nuclear-armed states: the United States, Britain, Russia, France and China.
North Korea acceded to the NPT in 1985 but withdrew from it in 2003 after Washington accused the regime of pursuing a secret uranium enrichment program in violation of their bilateral agreement on freezing its nuclear programs.
On Tuesday, National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby reiterated that the Biden administration remains unchanged on North Korea’s denuclearization policy.
“I can’t speak to what the incoming team will characterize it. We have not gone so far as to recognition,” Kirby said in a press meeting.
