Former South Korean envoy warns against abandoning North Korea denuclearisation push

Chun Yung Woo, who served as Seoul’s chief negotiator in the 2006-2008 six-party talks, said that the international community’s insufficient determination let North Korea view nuclear weapons as vital for regime survival. He noted that before 2017 sanctions were largely symbolic and only after the regime’s ICBM test did serious economic pressure begin, by which time Pyongyang had already amassed enough material for about 100 nuclear bombs.

Chun maintains that denuclearisation remains legally necessary and that continued sanctions preserve bargaining power, even if their effectiveness is debated. He dismisses the notion that South Korea should develop its own nuclear arsenal, emphasizing the importance of U.S. extended deterrence and conventional forces such as missile defence. Additionally, he urges Japan to amend its three non-nuclear principles so U.S. warships carrying nuclear cruise missiles can dock at ports like Sasebo and Yokosuka, enhancing regional security.