Joseph Yoon: "US Will Not Recognize North Korea as a 'Nuclear-Armed State'"

Joseph Yoon, Charg? d'Affaires of the United States to Korea, stated firmly on the 24th, "The United States will not recognize North Korea as a legitimate 'nuclear-armed state.' There is no doubt about this."

Joseph Yoon, Charg? d'Affaires of the United States to Korea, is speaking at the KPF invited seminar hosted by the Korea Press Foundation on the prospects and challenges of Korea-US diplomatic relations at the Press Center in Jung-gu, Seoul on June 24, 2025. Photo by Yonhap News.

However, he added, "Denuclearization of North Korea is our ultimate goal, but it does not need to be set as the initial objective when first making contact for US-North Korea dialogue." This suggests that in the upcoming phase of US-North Korea talks, the so-called "complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization (CVID)" should not be pushed to the forefront in a way that makes even starting negotiations difficult.

Attending a seminar hosted by the Korea Press Foundation at the Press Center in Jung-gu, Seoul, Yoon said, "President Donald Trump likely considers the issue of dialogue with North Korea as 'unfinished business' from his first term." He continued, "There is no doubt that President Trump wants to engage in dialogue with North Korea," but repeatedly emphasized that "it takes two to tango," highlighting the need for North Korea's response. However, he added, "We have not heard from North Korea whether they are willing to rejoin the talks," and stated, "It is uncertain because we do not know North Korea's position."

The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), adopted at the United Nations General Assembly in 1968, recognizes nuclear-armed state status for only five countries: the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, and China. Yoon said, "The NPT is the most successful security policy," and emphasized, "The United States is fully and firmly committed to the NPT." This means that the possibility of recognizing North Korea as a nuclear-armed state is completely ruled out.

However, he reiterated, "But if you ask whether North Korea possesses nuclear weapons, the answer is 'yes.' North Korea does have nuclear weapons, but it is a country we cannot recognize as a legitimate nuclear-armed state."

Meanwhile, regarding a question about the Special Measures Agreement (SMA) on Korea-US defense cost sharing, Yoon said, "The US fiscal deficit accounts for 6.5% of GDP, and this is unsustainable." He added, "We need to share defense costs more fairly, and that is why President Trump was elected," implying that the South Korean government should increase its share of defense costs.