US, Japan, S.Korea resolute on 'verifiable denuclearization' of Korean Peninsula

WASHINGTON -- The United States, Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK) on Monday reaffirmed their pursuit of a "verifiable denuclearization" of the Korean Peninsula in a peaceful manner.

The commitment came after Glyn Davies, the US special representative for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), met with his Japanese and ROK counterparts Junichi Ihara and Hwang Joon-kook at the State Department.

In a statement, the meeting was described as "productive" and "substantive," as the allies restated their commitment to the September 2005 joint statement of the six-party talks and its core goal -- a "verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula in a peaceful manner."

The talks, which also involve China and Russia, were initiated in Beijing in August 2003 but have been stalled since December 2008. The US and its allies have refused to restart the dialogue until the DPRK shows its commitment to giving up its nuclear program.

After their talks, Davies and his Japanese and ROK counterparts agreed on consultations with China, Russia and other key partners on issues concerning the DPRK.

In addition, they reaffirmed the UN Security Council's "unanimous condemnation" of the DPRK's recent ballistic missile launches as a violation of Security Council resolutions 1718, 1874, 2087 and 2094.

"We also reiterated our commitment to the full and transparent implementation of all UN Security Council resolutions concerning the DPRK and urged the DPRK to refrain from further threatening actions," the State Department statement said.

Tensions have been heightened on the Korean Peninsula in recent weeks, during which the DPRK fired a volley of short- and medium-range missiles, the two Koreas fired artillery shells into each other's waters, and Pyongyang threatened to conduct a "new form" of nuclear test in response to continued US hostile policy.

Robert King, US special envoy for DPRK Human Rights Issues, began a nine-day tour of Japan and the ROK on April 2 for regular consultations over "a range of human rights and humanitarian issues."

US President Barack Obama met with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and ROK President Park Geun-Hye in The Hague on March 25 on the sidelines of a nuclear security summit.

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