Which countries and organizations reaffirmed the goal of North Korea’s denuclearization?

South Korea, the United States, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Britain and the European Union issued the joint statement. They reaffirmed their commitment to the complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

What activities did the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team highlight in its findings on North Korea?

The statement cited MSMT findings on North Korea’s military cooperation with Russia, cyber-enabled schemes involving IT workers, and overseas labor operations. The team was formed after Russia’s veto led to the disbandment of the U.N. expert panel monitoring sanctions enforcement.

What did the U.S. Treasury announce against North Korean IT worker schemes, and what were the schemes accused of doing?

The Treasury announced sanctions against 10 individuals and one entity accused of facilitating schemes that targeted American businesses. The schemes were alleged to generate illicit revenue for Pyongyang’s weapons programs.

S. Korea, US, partners reaffirm N. Korea denuclearization goal, back sanctions enforcement

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Summary

South Korea, the United States and other partners reaffirmed their commitment to North Korea’s denuclearization in a joint statement issued in Washington on Wednesday. The 11 countries and the European Union welcomed October sanctions targeting Pyongyang’s efforts to fund its weapons programs and urged all U.N. members to fully implement sanctions resolutions. They cited Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team findings on North Korea’s military cooperation with Russia, cyber-enabled IT worker schemes and overseas labor operations.

Key Facts

The statement was issued by South Korea, the United States, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Britain and the European Union.
The Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team was established after Russia vetoed a resolution to extend the U.N. expert panel’s mandate, leading to the panel’s disbandment in April 2024.
The MSMT consists of 11 countries, including South Korea, the United States, Japan, Australia and Canada.
The U.S. Treasury Department announced sanctions against 10 individuals and one entity accused of facilitating North Korean IT worker schemes targeting American businesses.
The joint statement called for complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

By Yonhap

Published Oct 29, 2026 7:55 am KST

North Korean people holding the flag of their country march at Kim Il Sung Square, Pyongyang, Sept. 8, the eve of the 78th anniversary of the North's national founding, in this photo released by the North's official Korean Central News Agency the next day. Yonhap

WASHINGTON — South Korea, the United States and other like-minded partners on Wednesday reaffirmed their commitment to the denuclearization of North Korea, highlighting recent sanctions targeting Pyongyang's overseas workers, cyber activities and military cooperation with Russia.

In a joint statement issued by 11 countries and the European Union, the participants welcomed sanctions imposed by the U.S., Australia and the European Union in October to disrupt North Korea's efforts to finance its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs.

The statement was issued by South Korea, the U.S., Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Britain and the EU.

The countries highlighted findings by the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team (MSMT), which shed light on Pyongyang's military cooperation with Russia, cyber-enabled IT worker schemes and overseas labor operations.

The team was established after a U.N. expert panel, tasked with monitoring sanctions enforcement, was disbanded in April 2024 due to Russia's veto of a resolution to extend its mandate. It consists of 11 countries, including South Korea, the United States, Japan, Australia and Canada.

"The MSMT and EU reaffirm our commitment to the complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization of the DPRK," the statement said, referring to the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

The participants also urged all United Nations member states, particularly permanent members of the Security Council, to fully implement sanctions resolutions against North Korea.

Earlier in the day, the U.S. Treasury Department announced fresh sanctions against 10 individuals and one entity accused of facilitating North Korean IT worker schemes targeting American businesses and generating illicit revenue for Pyongyang's weapons programs.

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