By Yi Whan-woo
South Korea, the United States and Japan have agreed to work together to deter Pyongyang from developing submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBM) and prevent military provocations.
The agreement was reached Thursday during a meeting between Hwang Joon-kook, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ special representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs, and his U.S. and Japanese counterparts, Sung Kim and Kimihiro Ishikane, in Washington, D.C.
They are the top negotiators in the dormant six-party talks on North Korea’s denuclearization.
“We shared an understanding that the international community should send a strong message to deter strategic provocations like SLBM tests or satellite launches,” Hwang said after the meeting.
“We also agreed to continue to work together to carry out U.N. Security Council (UNSC) resolutions earnestly and to improve the effectiveness of U.N. sanctions.
“We’re always ready to counter North Korea’s provocations. And we’ll employ a two-track strategy of using carrots and sticks accordingly.”
Despite the UNSC ban on the development of ballistic missile technology, North Korea attempted to launch an SLBM in the East Sea on Nov. 28. This followed the military regime’s purported test-launch of one, May 8.
The incident has raised concerns that Seoul may be vulnerable to a nuclear attack if Pyongyang fully develops the appropriate technology and is capable of mounting a miniaturized nuclear warhead on an SLBM.
Pyongyang is also developing a space satellite program, which the U.S.-led allies suspect is a cover for a ballistic missile tests.
The three-way meeting in the U.S. came after President Park Geun-hye and U.S. President Barack Obama vowed, Oct. 16, to achieve “complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization of Pyongyang in a peaceful manner” in a summit at the White House.
North Korea has refused to join the denuclearization talks, which includes China and Russia, since negotiations were suspended in 2008.
The North is believed to be building a tunnel at its nuclear test site in Punggye-ri, fueling speculation it could be used for a fourth nuclear test. It carried out tests in 2006, 2009 and 2013.
Hwang, Kim and Ishikane renewed the call for the North to abandon all nuclear and ballistic missile programs, to freeze current nuclear activities and to accept International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspections.
Hwang said such measures are initial steps for Pyongyang’s denuclearization, in line with its commitment made on Sept. 19, 2005.
“The three steps will be a starting point for North Korea to successfully implement the joint statement made by the six-party members in 2005,” Hwang said.
“Pyongyang should unconditionally accept our offer for exploratory talks on its nuclear program.”
Regarding state-perpetrated human rights violations, the three allies will keep related U.N. resolutions, according to Hwang. The U.N. has passed resolutions against North Korea’s dire human rights record for consecutive years since 2005.
Meanwhile, Kim gave support for the improvement of inter-Korean relations amid signs of a thaw in their ties after the two sides reached an agreement on Aug. 25.
Seoul and Pyongyang are set to hold vice ministerial-level talks in Gaeseong, North Korea, Dec. 11, in line with that agreement.
Kim also expressed hope for a “constructive relationship” between South Korea and Japan after the first bilateral summit between President Park Geun-hye and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Seoul, Nov. 2, officials said.
Pyongyang faces increasing calls from the U.N. to give up its nuclear program following the landmark nuclear deal between Tehran and six world powers, led by the U.S., in July.
The five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council — the U.S., China, the United Kingdom, France and Russia — plus Germany, agreed with Iran to a halt in the latter’s nuclear activities in exchange for easing the U.S.-led international economic sanctions against Iran.
It remains to be seen whether the two Koreas will be able to make progress in resuming the six-party talks with the coming vice ministerial-level talks.