Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Hyun (third from left), visiting New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly, on Sept. 22 poses for photos with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio (center) and Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs Takeshi Iwaya at their summit. (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

By Kang Gahui

Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Hyun has reaffirmed with his U.S. and Japanese counterparts their steadfast commitment to keeping North Korea nuclear-free.

This declaration came in the wake of the North's leader Kim Jong Un on Sept. 21 expressing his intent to hold "dialogue without denuclearization" with Washington.

Visiting New York for the United Nations General Assembly High-level Week, Minister Cho on Sept. 22 attended a summit with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs Takeshi Iwaya on issues facing the Korean Peninsula and the region as well as reinforcement of their trilateral cooperation in economy and security.

In a joint statement, the three ministers said they "reaffirmed their resolute commitment to the complete denuclearization of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) in accordance with the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions (UNSCRs), while continuing to make efforts to maintain peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula through dialogue and diplomacy."

They weighed the results of their cooperation so far such as that in security and cyber response, agreeing to keep close collaboration in North Korea policy while maintaining the principle of a nuclear-free peninsula and a stance of deterrence toward the North.

Minister Cho urged the three countries to actively work together to achieve substantial progress like through resumption of dialogue with Pyeongyang to resolve peace on the peninsula and the North's denuclearization.

The ministers also discussed boosting cooperation in economic security and cutting-edge technologies.

kgh89@korea.kr