1. On September 21, Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se attended a “Friends of the CTBT” Foreign Ministers' Meeting held on the sidelines of the 71st session of the UN General Assembly. At the meeting, he condemned North Korea’s five nuclear tests conducted in violation of the internationally obeyed moratorium on nuclear testing, and urged the 44 States in (Article XIV) Annex II of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), including North Korea, to sign and/or ratify the treaty as soon as possible.

° The Minister pointed out that North Korea, by conducting five nuclear tests, including two in 2016, is dealing a blow to the CTBT, an international norm that bans nuclear testing, and that the North Korean nuclear juggernaut is indeed the gravest and most pressing security threat of the time.

- The Minister also brought attention to the fact that North Korea, frantically obsessed with nuclear and ballistic missile programs, fired 22 ballistic missiles, one missile launch almost every ten days, while openly threatening preemptive nuclear strike against other UN members.

- The Minister, mentioning that unless a break is put on Pyongyang’s nuclear ambition, a “ticking time bomb,” the international will come to regret it, stressed that CTBT signatories must take the lead in galvanizing the international community’s resolve.

° The Minister pointed out that the international community is paying the huge price tag, including North Korea’s nuclear test, that comes with the long overdue entry into force of the CTBT; appealed to all remaining Annex II States to be the first movers; and assured the participating countries that the Republic of Korea will remain a reliable partner in the international community’s joint efforts in strengthening the non-proliferation regime.

2. The meeting brought together 40-odd minister-level officials, including UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, CTBTO Executive Secretary Lassina Zerbo and foreign ministers of the “Friends of the CTBT.” The countries that delivered remarks noted that North Korea is the only country conducting a nuclear test in the 21st century and strongly condemned it. Furthermore, they drew a common understanding that, even as a way to deter North Korea’s provocations, the CTBT should be brought into force as soon as possible, clearly highlighting the “international community vs. North Korea” structure, a result of the repeated provocations by North Korea in 2016.

3. The 40-odd minister-level participants strongly condemned North Korea’s nuclear test and adopted a joint ministerial declaration containing a stern message to North Korea.

° (Gist of the statement) We condemn in the strongest terms the five nuclear tests by North Korea, the only country that has conducted nuclear tests in the 21st century; demand that North Korea refrain from conducting further nuclear tests; and urge North Korea to fully comply with all relevant UN Security Council resolutions and all its commitments under the 2005 Joint Statement of the Six-Party Talks, to abandon all its nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programs, and immediately cease all related activities.

* Full texts of the joint ministerial declaration and Minister Yun's remarks attached.


* unofficial translation