The United States, South Korea and Japan have again pledged to pursue the complete denuclearisation of North Korea, in a joint statement that reaffirms their shared position on Pyongyang’s weapons programmes.
The three allies said they remain committed to the goal in line with United Nations Security Council resolutions, language they have used in earlier trilateral statements.
They also voiced concern over North Korea’s military cooperation with Russia and its continuing missile development.
The pledge comes as Pyongyang shows no sign of softening. North Korea has said its nuclear programme will continue indefinitely, despite Donald Trump’s diplomatic overtures.
In earlier rounds, the allies repeated the call even after Kim Jong Un publicly rejected giving up his arsenal. North Korea has also unveiled a new Hwasong-20 intercontinental ballistic missile, which has fuelled speculation about possible Russian technical help.
Analysts say the wording is itself a point of contention. Pyongyang has long read “denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula” as meaning the withdrawal of US forces from South Korea and the removal of the American nuclear umbrella.
Seoul’s foreign ministry has at times used different phrasing than the trilateral statements, raising questions about how consistent its position is. Whether the latest vow leads to any diplomatic opening remains unclear.
