South Korea’s top nuclear envoy underscored the urgency of resolving North Korea’s nuclear issue while calling for a more flexible, phased approach to denuclearization, the Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.
Jeong Yeon-doo, vice foreign minister for diplomatic strategy and intelligence, made the remarks in a keynote speech at the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) review conference held in New York on Monday.
In his address, Jeong stressed that North Korea is "the only case that has benefited from the NPT regime, announced its withdrawal and openly continued the development of nuclear weapons."
The country, he adds, "thereby (remains) the most pressing challenge to the nonproliferation regime.”
Jeong called on the international community to send a clear message that security and prosperity can only be ensured through a return to the treaty framework.
He also urged Russia to cease its illegal military cooperation with North Korea, which violates United Nations Security Council resolutions, and to fulfill its responsibilities in safeguarding the global nonproliferation regime.
Jeong notably avoided using the long-standing term “CVID” — complete, verifiable and irreversible dismantlement — instead highlighting a more realistic, step-by-step approach to denuclearization.
Jeong said South Korea would continue working with the international community to achieve the “complete denuclearization” of the Korean Peninsula and lasting peace.
He reiterated the Lee Jae Myung administration’s “three-stage denuclearization approach,” which begins with freezing North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs, followed by reductions and eventual dismantlement.
Since taking office, the Lee administration has favored the term “complete denuclearization” over CVID, signaling a shift in tone while maintaining its broader policy goal and leaving room for engagement with Pyongyang.
Jeong also pointed to what he described as a “nuclear renaissance,” expressing hope that countries would comply with nonproliferation and safety measures while benefiting from the peaceful use of nuclear energy.
The NPT, which entered into force in 1970, is a multilateral treaty aimed at preventing the spread of nuclear weapons while promoting the peaceful use of nuclear energy. South Korea joined the treaty in 1975.
The review conference, held every five years, assesses how member states are implementing their commitments under the pact.
mkjung@heraldcorp.com
