Seoul: The presidential office emphasized that North Korea's denuclearization remains a "consistent goal of the international community" following Pyongyang's criticism of Seoul and Washington for reaffirming their shared objective during recent high-level discussions.
According to Yonhap News Agency, a senior presidential official restated the government's stance in reaction to comments from North Korea's foreign ministry. The ministry had described denuclearization as an "irreversibly finalized" issue after South Korea and the United States reaffirmed their shared goal during the bilateral Nuclear Consultative Group meeting held in Seoul on Thursday.
The official underscored that denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula has been a consistent goal of the international community, as demonstrated by multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions. The cooperation between allies on extended deterrence is deemed part of the government's duty to safeguard its citizens and aligns with international nonproliferation norms, including the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.
Extended deterrence refers to the U.S. commitment to defend its ally using its full range of military capabilities, including nuclear capabilities. The official further stated that the government is committed to achieving a Korean Peninsula free of war and nuclear arms under the vision of peaceful coexistence and shared growth.
North Korea's state media reiterated Pyongyang's "irreversible position" as a "nuclear weapons state," and labeled U.S. and allied efforts to promote denuclearization as "an unreasonable talk and fantastic daydream."