S. Korea reaffirms North Korea denuclearization goal at U.N. meeting

May 6 (Asia Today) -- South Korea reaffirmed its commitment to the complete denuclearization of North Korea during a side event held alongside the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons review conference at the United Nations.

Speaking at the event in New York on Monday, Ha Wi-young, a senior official at South Korea's Foreign Ministry, said it is critical to maintain a clear objective of full denuclearization while preparing for future diplomatic opportunities.

The event, co-hosted with France under the theme "North Korea's nuclear challenge and safeguarding the integrity of the NPT," brought together government officials, scholars and international organizations.

Kim Sang-jin, South Korea's deputy ambassador to the United Nations, warned that evolving security conditions have become more complex following the dissolution of the U.N. sanctions panel monitoring North Korea.

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The panel, which operated under the United Nations Security Council sanctions committee, was disbanded in 2024 after Russia vetoed its mandate extension. In response, South Korea, the United States and Japan, along with other partners, launched a multinational sanctions monitoring team to fill the gap.

Kim criticized Russia for prioritizing bilateral ties with North Korea over its previous support for regional and multilateral security, saying such actions undermine the global nonproliferation framework.

"In the current environment, the role of the multinational monitoring mechanism and strict enforcement of sanctions are essential to safeguarding the nonproliferation regime," he said.

Kim also acknowledged that achieving North Korea's denuclearization in the short term would be difficult, outlining South Korea's phased and pragmatic approach aimed at bringing Pyongyang back to the negotiating table.

At the forum, Sharon Squassoni, a research professor at George Washington University, called for a "realistic risk management" strategy combined with multilateral cooperation to address the North Korean nuclear issue.

She suggested that while maintaining the long-term goal of denuclearization, immediate efforts should focus on preventing nuclear conflict. Squassoni proposed that North Korea, the United States, China and Russia simultaneously ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty to halt nuclear testing.

South Korea and France have jointly hosted similar events on North Korea's nuclear program since 2017. Participants at this year's meeting - including government representatives, academics and civil society groups - agreed that Pyongyang's continued nuclear and missile activities pose a serious challenge to the global nonproliferation system and that efforts toward denuclearization remain vital to preserving the credibility of the NPT.

-- Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

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Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260506010000867