The South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized that the international community, including both South Korea and the United States, remains firmly committed to the denuclearization of North Korea.
This comes in response to the recent omission of this goal from both the Democratic and Republican Party platforms ahead of the upcoming U.S. presidential election in November, unlike their previous platforms, which explicitly mentioned North Korea’s denuclearization.
In a regular briefing on August 20, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lee Jae-woong responded to related questions, stating, “The government will continue its consistent efforts towards North Korea’s denuclearization based on close South Korea-U.S. cooperation, using a comprehensive approach that includes deterrence, dissuasion, and diplomatic dialogue.”
He further stressed that “regardless of the election outcome, we will maintain close communication and coordination with the U.S. on policies regarding North Korea and its nuclear program.”
However, concerns have been raised about the removal of denuclearization references that were included in previous platforms. The 2016 and 2020 Democratic Party platforms explicitly mentioned, “We will build a sustained, coordinated diplomatic campaign to advance the longer-term goal of denuclearization.”
However, this objective was omitted from the recently released platform. Similarly, references to North Korean human rights issues were also absent.
Instead, the platform includes a new language that focuses on countering North Korea-Russia cooperation, such as “Russia’s emerging military and economic alliances with Iran and North Korea.”
Additionally, it highlighted President Joe Biden’s efforts to collaborate with allies in response to the threats posed by North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs, which violate multiple UN Security Council resolutions and destabilize the region.
The Republican Party platform, released last month, made no mention of the Korean Peninsula or North Korea. However, in previous elections, the Republican Party included the “complete, verifiable, and irreversible dismantlement (CVID) of North Korea’s” phrase.
These developments have sparked concerns that future U.S. policy on North Korea might shift from pursuing denuclearization to focusing on arms control and threat reduction. There is apprehension that North Korea, which seeks de facto recognition as a nuclear-armed state, might gain such recognition with U.S. acquiescence.
Particularly, if former President Donald Trump, who met directly with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during his tenure, is re-elected, there are fears that a “small deal” could emerge, where the U.S. might lift some sanctions in exchange for North Korea retaining part of its nuclear arsenal while reducing threats to the U.S. mainland.
This has led to calls for South Korea to play a more proactive role in ensuring that the U.S. continues to uphold the goal of North Korean denuclearization, as encapsulated by CVID.
However, when asked about potential additional contacts with the U.S. regarding the Democratic Party platform, the Foreign Ministry official stated, “This is a matter related to the U.S. domestic political process, so there is nothing specific for South Korea to address,” adding that “the U.S. government and our government maintain close communication on all relevant issues.”
BY HYUNJU PARK, YOUNGNAM KIM [park.hyunju@koreadaily.com]
