Spokesperson’s Commentary on the US Government’s 2010 Nuclear Posture Review

The Korean government welcomes and supports the policy direction articulated in the 2010 Nuclear Posture Review (NPR) released by the US Government on April 6 (local time), which calls for pursuing a “world without nuclear weapons” while simultaneously maintaining and strengthening reassurance to its allies.   The Korean government appreciates the US government’s policy of maintaining and further enhancing the US security commitment to and readiness on the Korean Peninsula, such as through the provision of nuclear and other elements of extended deterrence, in light of the unique  security situation on the Korean Peninsula and the full range of threats posed by North Korea. The government also welcomes the US position, under the principle that a nuclear North Korea will not be tolerated, that North Korea will face further isolation and increasing international pressure so long as it pursues its nuclear ambitions in defiance of  international norms.   Furthermore, the prevention of nuclear proliferation and nuclear terrorism has been established as one of the key objectives in the 2010 NPR, and we are confident that this will contribute to the success of the Nuclear Security Summit slated for April 12-13 in Washington and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference in New York on May 3-28, as well as to strengthening the global nuclear non-proliferation regime.  The US government has held close consultations with the Korean government on numerous occasions throughout the review, including a recent video conference of foreign and defense ministry officials. It has also reaffirmed through phone calls between our two presidents on April 1 and our two foreign ministers on April 6 that it would continue to actively strengthen security cooperation throughout the NPR’s implementation. The Korean government appreciates these efforts on the part of the US government.