S. Korea, U.S. share ‘full consensus’ on complete denuclearization of N. Korea

Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul said Wednesday that South Korea and the United States have shared “full consensus” on achieving the complete denuclearization of North Korea, while soothing concern that U.S. President Donald Trump is unlikely to acknowledge North Korea as a nuclear-armed state.

Cho made the remarks during a parliamentary interpellation session after Trump recently referred to North Korea as a “nuclear power” — a term U.S. officials have mostly refrained from using as it could be regarded as U.S. recognition of Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons.

When asked by Rep. Yoon Sang-hyun of the ruling People Power Party about whether he believes there is a distinction between calling North Korea a nuclear power and actually recognizing it as a nuclear-armed state, Cho replied, “Yes.”

On concerns that the advancement of Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile capabilities might eventually leave Washington no choice but to recognize the North’s nuclear status, Cho said it was an issue “difficult to predict.”

Cho then stressed that South Korea and the U.S. share “full consensus” on achieving the complete denuclearization of the North.

The minister also said the U.S. is likely to consider it a “red line” if North Korea were to develop intercontinental ballistic missile reentry technology and achieve the capability to strike the U.S. mainland.

On the possibility of a new defense cost-sharing deal, called the Special Measures Agreement, Cho said the government is exploring “various options.”