For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
October 26, 2002
Joint US-Japan-Rok Trilateral Statement
Today President George W. Bush, President Kim Dae-Jung, and Prime
Minister Junichiro Koizumi met to reaffirm their commitment to a
peaceful Korean peninsula free of nuclear weapons.
The three leaders agreed that North Korea's program to enrich
uranium for nuclear weapons is a violation of the Agreed Framework, the
Non-Proliferation Treaty, North Korea's IAEA safeguards agreement, and
the South-North Joint Declaration on Denuclearization of the Korean
peninsula. The three leaders called upon North Korea to dismantle this
program in a prompt and verifiable manner and to come into full
compliance with all its international commitments in conformity with
North Korea's recent commitment in the Japan-North Korea Pyongyang
Declaration. In this context, the three leaders agreed to continue
close coordination.
The three leaders stressed their commitment to resolve this matter
peacefully in close consultation trilaterally and with other concerned
nations around the globe.
The three leaders agreed that South-North dialogue and the opening
of Japan-DPRK normalization talks can serve as important channels to
call upon the North to respond quickly and convincingly to the
international communities' demands for a denuclearized Korean
peninsula. President Kim briefed that during the recent South-North
Ministerial Meeting held in Pyongyang, the South strongly urged North
Korea to take immediate action for a prompt and peaceful resolution of
the nuclear issue. Prime Minister Koizumi reiterated that Japan-DPRK
normalization should promote not only bilateral relations with North
Korea, but also contribute to peace and stability of the region. In
this regard, Prime Minister Koizumi stressed that Japan-North Korea
normalization talks would not be concluded without full compliance with
the Pyongyang Declaration between Japan and North Korea, in particular
with regard to the security issues, including the nuclear issue, and
abduction issues. President Bush reiterated his February stateme nt in
South Korea that the United States has no intention of invading North
Korea as well as the fact that he had been prepared to pursue a bold
approach to transforming U.S.-DPRK relations.
The three leaders noted the potential for North Korea to benefit
from greater participation as a member of the international community.
However, the three leaders agreed that North Korea's relations with the
international community now rest on North Korea's prompt and visible
actions to dismantle its program to produce highly enriched uranium for
nuclear weapons.
With a view to contributing to regional as well as international
peace and stability, the three leaders reaffirmed that continued close
consultations and trilateral coordination remain vital to the success
of their efforts towards North Korea.
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