FM Cho calls nuclear-free Korean Peninsula 'imperative' never to be abandoned

Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said Tuesday a Korean Peninsula without nuclear weapons is an "imperative" that should not be abandoned, committing to ensure the peninsula does not become a flashpoint of armed conflict. Cho made the remarks in his keynote speech to the Seoul Diplomacy Forum 2025, hosted by the Korea National Diplomatic Academy. The speech was read out by Youn Jong-kwon, ambassador for international cyberaffairs, as the minister is currently on an overseas trip. "Korea's top priority on the security front is to prevent war and ensure that the Korean Peninsula does not become a flashpoint of armed conflict," Cho said, calling a "nuclear-free" Korean Peninsula an "imperative we must never abandon." The minister referred to the government's goal of the phased denuclearization of the peninsula — first stopping North Korea's nuclear arsenals, then reducing and ultimately dismantling them. Seoul will solidify its defense capabilities against North Korean threats, but such measures should also be "accompanied by efforts to prevent inadvertent conflicts, deescalate tensions and restoWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times