Kim Gun, Head of the Korean Peninsula Headquarters, "Kim Jong-un's Core Task Failed... Reached a Dead End"

Discussion on Denuclearization through Trilateral Cooperation
Significance of This Week's Launch of ROK-US NCG
Also Discussed Encouraging Constructive Role of China

Kim Gun, Head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Peace Negotiation Headquarters for the Korean Peninsula, stated, “We are witnessing Kim Jong-un’s continued failure to achieve results in key tasks. He has reached a dead end.”

On the afternoon of the 20th, Kim made these remarks during opening statements at the trilateral North Korea nuclear chief negotiators’ talks with Sung Kim, U.S. Special Representative for North Korea, and Funakoshi Takehiro, Director-General of the Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau at Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, held in Karuizawa, Nagano Prefecture, Japan.

Photo of the trilateral consultation on North Korea's nuclear issue held in Seoul on April 7. From left to right: Kim Gun, Director General for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Korea; Sung Kim, U.S. Special Representative for North Korea, U.S. Department of State; Takehiro Funakoshi, Director-General of the Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan.

"No Concessions from ROK-U.S. Regarding North Korea’s Nuclear Attacks"

Kim said, “Kim Jong-un has continued to pursue self-reliance, but North Korea has only faced economic collapse.” He elaborated that North Korea has squandered scarce resources on its nuclear missile program. He added, “It is even more regrettable that North Korea is refusing humanitarian aid,” assessing this as a futile attempt to sustain an unfounded belief in self-reliance.

He viewed North Korea’s obsession with nuclear weapons as detrimental to its own security. He said, “Kim Jong-un believes that by escalating nuclear attack threats, he can gain respect and get what he wants,” but emphasized, “However, the Republic of Korea and the United States will neither be threatened nor offer any concessions.”

Kim further stated, “Instead, we have upgraded the alliance through the Washington Declaration. The launch of the ROK-U.S. Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG) this week is particularly significant. The NCG will be continuously operated as a mechanism to enhance the combined deterrence and response posture of the ROK and the U.S.”

Kim Gun, Director General for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who is attending the Korea-US-Japan Senior Officials Meeting on North Korea's nuclear issue, is departing for Japan through Gimpo International Airport in Gangseo-gu, Seoul on the afternoon of the 19th (Source: Yonhap News).

Trilateral Cooperation to Discuss Denuclearization... Also Consulted on Encouraging China’s Constructive Role

Kim said that security cooperation among the three countries has reached an unprecedented level. He stated, “North Korea continues to seek excuses for its illegal acts, but it is futile,” adding, “North Korea has repeatedly denied the authority of the UN Security Council. However, our commitment to North Korea’s denuclearization has been well demonstrated through multilateral meetings such as the recent G7 Summit, NATO Summit, and ASEAN-related Foreign Ministers’ Meetings.” He noted, “The recent statement by Kim Yo-jong revealed North Korea’s anxiety in the face of the international community’s strong resolve.”

Kim announced that through trilateral cooperation, they would ▲discuss effective responses to North Korea’s ongoing provocations and ▲cut off illegal funding sources for North Korea’s weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs. He also reaffirmed openness to dialogue with North Korea and pledged to ▲strengthen close communication and cooperation to bring North Korea back to the path of denuclearization. Encouraging ▲China’s constructive role, given its influence and responsibility, was also highlighted as an important topic of today’s consultations.

Meanwhile, the face-to-face talks among the three countries’ North Korea nuclear representatives took place for the first time in three months since the April Seoul talks, with the first meeting held in June last year. A teleconference was also held on the 12th of this month, when North Korea launched the intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) Hwasong-18.