1. During his visit to New York to attend the 71st session of the UN General Assembly, Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se met trilaterally with Secretary of State John Kerry of the US and Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida of Japan on September 18.

° At the meeting that focused on North Korea and its nuclear issue, the three top diplomats shared their assessments of the very pressing and grave situation on the Korean Peninsula in the wake of North Korea’s fifth nuclear test and discussed ways to strengthen across-the-board and robust sanctions and pressure on North Korea.

2. On the heels of their meeting, the Ministers and the Secretary issued a joint statement containing the outcome of the meeting. The gist of the joint statement is as follows.

° With regard to the US defense commitments to the Republic of Korea, it was reaffirmed that the commitments include that to provide extended deterrence backed by the full range of its nuclear and conventional defense capabilities.

° With respect to the North Korean nuclear issue, the three countries reaffirmed their commitment to ensure that all countries fully and effectively implement all their obligations and commitments under UN Security Council Resolution 2270; to lead the Security Council’s efforts to adopt a new resolution; to consider other possible measures of their own, in particular ways to further restrict revenue sources for the DPRK’s missile and nuclear programs, including through illicit activities; and to continue to draw international attention to the violations of human rights in North Korea.

3. In his opening statement, Minister Yun warned that through the recent nuclear test and series of ballistic missile launches, North Korea’s nuclear capacity has reached a whole new level and if North Korea’s nuclear ambition is not met with firm response today, a looming perfect storm may not only pounce on the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia but sweep over the entire world. In that regard, he stressed the following.

°First, In order to stop North Korea from deriding the Security Council and the UN, the Security Council must swiftly adopt a robust new sanctions resolution and prove its credibility and authority.

°Second, Kim Jong-un and the North Korean regime cannot get away with all their misbehavior and provocations. If they blindly insist on going down that road, it will be the very path to ruin.

- The international community as a whole must take advantage of the ongoing UN General Assembly session and send out a united and forceful message against Pyongyang’s nuclear development. At the same time, its dire human rights situation should not be disregarded.

°Third, as the key stake-holders in the North Korean nuclear conundrum, the ROK, the US and Japan will continue to muster the collective will of the international community to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue.

4. In his opening statement, Secretary Kerry mentioned that as provocative and reckless actions by the North Korean regime will only further isolate itself, it must not engage in further provocations, stop efforts to advance its nuclear and missile capability and return to the path of serious sincere denuclearization talks. He clearly affirmed the US commitments to the defense of the ROK. In the joint statement, the US side reaffirmed that the commitments include “the commitment to provide extended deterrence backed by the full range of its nuclear and conventional defense capabilities.”

° Minister Kishida noted that “in the face of the threat from North Korea’s nuclear and missile threat totally different in dimension from the past regarding provocations, the international society is required to initiate a different response accordingly.” In that vein, he added, stronger pressure must be put on North Korea, including under a new Security Council resolution, and thereby “make North Korea understand that repeated provocations will isolate them from the international community and that there can be no bright future for them at all.”

5. The three ministers agreed that their three countries, in close coordination among them as the key stake-holders in the North Korean nuclear issue, will make strong, comprehensive responses beyond North Korea’s expectation.

° In particular, the three countries agreed to work closely with one another for a swift adoption of a new, tough UN Security Council resolution; and in the implementation of measures aimed to complement the Security Council sanctions and regarding other measures to increase pressure on North Korea.

6. The Ministers and the Secretary expressed grave concern over North Korea channeling its scarce resources to advancing its nuclear and missile capability in disregard of the livelihoods of its people. With respect to the systemic, widespread, and gross violations of human rights in North Korea, they agreed to remain in close, systemic coordination with one another to further intensify the momentum of international discussions on the issue, including during the ongoing session of the UN General Assembly.

7. The Ministers and the Secretary agreed to continuously step up trilateral cooperation in tackling such global challenges as those concerning refugees, terrorism, violent extremism, human rights, development cooperation, infectious diseases and climate change.


* unofficial translation