Presidential Visit
26 October 2002
Text: Joint U.S.-Japan-ROK Trilateral Statement on North Korea
(Leaders call on North Korea to dismantle nuclear program) (590)
President Bush, Republic of Korea President Kim Dae-Jung, and Japanese
Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi agree that North Korea's program to
enrich uranium for nuclear weapons is a violation of several
agreements and called on North Korea in a statement October 26 to
dismantle the program in a prompt and verifiable manner.
The three leaders met on the margins of the Asia-Pacific Economic
Cooperation (APEC) meetings in Los Cabos, Mexico.
The three leaders stressed their commitment to resolve the matter
peacefully and reaffirmed that continued close consultations and
trilateral coordination remain vital to the success of their efforts
towards North Korea.
Following is the text of the statement:
(begin text)
The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
(Los Cabos, Mexico)
October 26, 2002
Joint U.S.-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
statement 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.
(end text)
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)