Quad leaders decry N.K. missile launches, reaffirm 'complete' Korean Peninsula denuclearization goal

▲ U.S. President Joe Biden (2nd from R), Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (L), Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (2nd from L) and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida pose for a photo at the Archmere Academy in Wilmington, Delaware, on Sept. 21, 2024, as they gather for a Quad summit in this photo released by AFP. (Yonhap)

Quad leaders-N Korea

Quad leaders decry N.K. missile launches, reaffirm 'complete' Korean Peninsula denuclearization goal

By Song Sang-ho

WASHINGTON, Sept. 21 (Yonhap) -- The leaders of the United States, India, Japan and Australia on Saturday denounced North Korea's "destabilizing" missile launches and its nuclear program, and reaffirmed their commitment to the "complete" denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

President Joe Biden, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese issued a joint statement after the four countries' fourth in-person Quad summit held in Wilmington, Delaware.

The summit came as Pyongyang has recently ratcheted up tensions on the peninsula with its rare disclosure of a uranium enrichment facility, continued weapons tests and launches of trash-filled balloons into South Korea, not to mention tough rhetoric.

"We condemn North Korea's destabilizing ballistic missile launches and its continued pursuit of nuclear weapons in violation of multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions (UNSCRs). These launches pose a grave threat to international peace and stability," the leaders said in the statement.

"We urge North Korea to abide by all its obligations under the UNSCRs, refrain from further provocations and engage in substantive dialogue. We reaffirm our commitment to the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula consistent with relevant UNSCRs and call on all countries to fully implement these UNSCRs," they added.

They stressed the need to prevent any proliferation of nuclear and missile technologies related to North Korea.

"We express our grave concern over North Korea's use of proliferation networks, malicious cyber activity and workers abroad to fund its unlawful weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs," they said.

"In that context, we urge all UN Member States to abide by the relevant UNSCRs including the prohibition on the transfer to North Korea or procurement from North Korea of all arms and related materiel."

Moreover, they expressed "deep" concerns about countries that are deepening military cooperation with the North, saying that it undermines the global nonproliferation regime.

The leaders also underscored the importance of sanctions enforcement against Pyongyang, noting that a U.N. expert panel monitoring sanctions violations has been disbanded.

"We reiterate our commitment to continued implementation of the relevant UNSCRs which remain in full force," they said.

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