The ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) issued a statement calling for the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula for the second consecutive year, expressing grave concern over North Korea's weapons programs. Pyongyang skipped the meeting and declared its nuclear status irreversible.
The repeated call for denuclearization by a key regional forum underscores persistent international concern over North Korea's nuclear ambitions, while Pyongyang's continued defiance and deepening ties with Russia highlight ongoing geopolitical tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
The ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) has issued a statement calling for the "complete denuclearization" of the Korean Peninsula for the second consecutive year, intensifying diplomatic pressure on North Korea. The statement, released following the annual foreign ministers' meeting in Manila, also conveyed significant concern regarding North Korea's ongoing development of nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs.
The ARF's chair statement urged "the full implementation of all relevant UNSC Resolutions" and acknowledged international endeavors to achieve denuclearization peacefully. North Korea, however, has constitutionally declared itself a nuclear power and has demonstrated no inclination to relinquish its nuclear arsenal. Kim Yo-jong, a prominent figure in North Korea's leadership, stated in June that the nation's status as a nuclear-armed state is "absolutely irreversible" and a "line of no retreat."
Notably, Pyongyang opted to skip this year's ARF meeting for the second year in a row, a decision coinciding with its deepening ties with Russia. The forum included ASEAN member states along with other participating nations such as South Korea, the United States, China, and Russia.