The Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons on April 27 holds its opening day at United Nations headquarters in New York. (Yonhap News)

By Jeong Euiseok

The government has reaffirmed its phased and practical approach to resolve North Korea's nuclear issue.

Reflecting the rapidly changing security environment, the plan is to seek a diplomatic breakthrough through a flexible strategy while maintaining the goal of complete denuclearization.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and France on May 5 held at a meeting at United Nations (U.N.) headquarters in New York themed on the challenges of North Korea's nuclear program and its challenges to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

In his presentation, Deputy Permanent Representative to the U.N. Kim Sangjin said that given the advances in Pyeongyang's nuclear and missile capabilities, the dissolution of the U.N. Security Council Sanctions Committee on North Korea and military cooperation between the North and Russia are further complicating the situation.

Under these circumstances, Seoul deemed achieving denuclearization over the short term difficult and pledged a phased and practical method to make the Korean Peninsula nuclear free.

In his opening speech, Ha Wi-young, director-general of the ministry's International Security Bureau, stressed the firm upholding of the complete denuclearization objective given the rapidly changing strategic environment on the peninsula. Having a clear objective makes flexible strategies such as a gradual approach possible, he added.

He said, "Because diplomatic opportunities for denuclearization will inevitably arise, we must be prepared in advance."

The meeting also agreed that efforts to promote denuclearization are essential to maintain the NPT's completeness and credibility, urging the finding of flexible and creative approaches in the process.

Since 2017, Seoul and Paris have held events related to Pyeongyang's nuclear program on the sidelines of the conference and its preparatory committee meeting.

innocence@korea.kr