East Asia Summit urges NK to abandon nuclear program

By Kang Seung-woo

VIENTIANE, Laos ― The East Asia Summit (EAS) adopted a statement urging North Korea to give up its nuclear and missile programs, Thursday, as President Park Geun-hye called for international unity against the threats from Pyongyang.

This marks the first time the regional strategy forum has adopted a single-issue statement other than the chairman’s statement. The EAS is comprised of 18 countries including the United State, Japan, China and the 10 members of ASEAN.

“We urge North Korea to abandon its nuclear and ballistic missile programs in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner, and uphold its international legal obligations,” said the statement after the meeting in the Laotian capital of Vientiane, calling for the full implementation of all relevant United Nations (U.N.) resolutions amid growing provocations from Pyongyang.

It also called for the continuation of joint efforts to resume the suspended six-party talks shortly to make substantial progress in the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula in a peaceful manner.

The statement was adopted while the Kim Jong-un regime has ratcheted up tension in the region with a series of ballistic missile tests despite international warnings. The latest provocation came Monday as global leaders gathered at the G20 Summit in Hangzhou, China.

“The adoption carries a great significance in that EAS leaders showed a strong determination against North Korea’s repeated nuclear threat,” President Park said during the meeting.

“Since its fourth nuclear test earlier this year, the North has fired a total of 22 ballistic missiles on 14 occasions, compared with 16 missiles launched during the 18-year reign of his father, Kim Jong-il. The North’s provocations are an existential threat to our lives.”

Park also called for international unity to send a clear and united message that the global community will not tolerate the North’s nuclear development and provocations before it is too late.

“Should we not recognize the seriousness and urgency of its nuclear and missile threat and fail to strike down its nuclear ambitions, the international community will regret it someday,” she said.

According to the statement, the EAS leaders fully supported the adoption of Resolution 2270, imposed on the North on March 2 for its nuclear test in January and long-range rocket launch the following month.

“We are registering deep concern over North Korea’s subsequent and repeated ballistic missile launches in violation and flagrant disregard of the U.N.’s relevant resolutions,” the statement said.

During the meeting, President Park also explained Seoul’s decision to deploy a U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAAD) battery on its soil, implicatively urging China and Russia to cooperate on international sanctions. Beijing and Moscow have protested the THAAD deployment fearing the system’s radar will spy on them.

“Due to the repeated threats from the North, South Korea has decided to take an inevitable and minimal self-defense measure. The international community needs to concentrate its efforts on resolving North Korean issues,” Park said.

The EAS also covered the South China Sea dispute and Park called on the concerned parties to settle their maritime disputes through “peaceful and creative diplomatic efforts” in line with the government’s stance of not stepping into sensitive territorial issues involving the strategically crucial waterway.

Following the EAS, Park also joined 15 global leaders seeking a swift conclusion of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and they jointly announced a statement voicing hopes for “balanced, high-quality and mutually beneficial outcomes.”

The RCEP, comprised of Korea, China, Japan, India, Australia and New Zealand as well as the 10 ASEAN countries, is regarded as a Beijing-driven rival to the U.S.-led Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) that excludes China and Korea.

The Korean government believes the new multinational free trade deal will contribute to the nation by securing a solid base for trade and investment as China, ASEAN and Japan are the nation’s first, second and fifth largest trading partners.

“We resolve to find appropriate ways to address the various sensitivities and interests of each participating country to arrive at a balanced, high-quality and mutually beneficial outcomes,” a joint statement said, expecting continued progress including positive and constructive responses to market access requests.

“We reaffirm the potential of the RCEP agreement to boost business confidence, benefit consumers, and reinforce the RCEP region’s contribution to global growth, and the deepening of regional economic integration and equitable economic development for all participating countries.”

Following the EAS gala dinner, President Park ended her ASEAN-related multilateral events and began her two-day official visit to Laos.

Today, she plans to hold a summit with her Laotian counterpart Bounnhang Vorachith, and attend a Korea-Laos business forum before returning home.