South Korean Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo and US Defense Secretary Mark Esper on Thursday urged Pyongyang to follow the previously agreed denuclaerization commitments, according to a joint statement issued by the two ministers
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 25th June, 2020) South Korean Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo and US Defense Secretary Mark Esper on Thursday urged Pyongyang to follow the previously agreed denuclaerization commitments, according to a joint statement issued by the two ministers.
"Both leaders call on the DPRK [the Democratic People's Republic of Korea] to meet its commitments in alignment with the Singapore Summit Joint Statement, the Comprehensive Military Agreement, and other relevant agreements," the ministers said.
According to the statement, released on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the outbreak of the 1950-1953 Korean War, Seoul and Washington have pledged to continue supporting diplomacy for the complete denuclearization of North Korea.
"Additionally, both leaders reaffirm their commitment to a combined defense posture that ensures lasting peace and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula," the statement said.
The news comes amid weeks of escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula combined with Pyongyang's threats to take a military action against South Korea in response to anti-Pyongyang leaflets sent over the border by defectors and activists.
North Korea has been engaged in denuclearization talks with the United States since 2018. The country's leader Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump expressed their commitment to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula during talks in Singapore in June 2018. However, the next negotiations between the two leaders collapsed due to disagreements over the timing of sanctions relief.
In October 2019, the North Korean delegation led by chief negotiator Kim Myong Gil held working-level denuclearization talks with the US delegation headed by Stephen Biegun in Sweden. However, North Korean diplomats left the meeting's venue prematurely, after which Kim said the working negotiations with the United States had failed. According to the diplomat, the United States came empty-handed.
