Park Ji-won, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, suggested a “three-step theory for denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula” on the 20th, stating that “first, North Korea should be recognized as a nuclear power.”
In his opening remarks at the Korea Peace Forum held at the National Assembly, Park said, “In a situation where North Korea’s nuclear capabilities are increasingly becoming more sophisticated, the current irresponsible and unrealistic nuclear armament theories cannot protect South Korea’s security or gain international support.”
Park pointed out that “during the last U.S. presidential election, both the Republican and Democratic parties removed the denuclearization of North Korea from their platforms and policies, and the Yoon Suk Yeol administration failed to properly recognize this.” He noted that “immediately after taking office on January 20, U.S. President Donald Trump referred to North Korea as a ‘nuclear power,’ indicating a high possibility of a shift in U.S. policy toward North Korea.”
Park argued that recognizing North Korea as a nuclear power should be the first step toward denuclearization. The next steps should involve encouraging North Korea to rejoin the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and engaging the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in inspections to freeze and prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons. In the final stage, Park proposed that the United States should guarantee the North Korean regime, lift economic freeze measures, and establish diplomatic relations between the two countries.
The National Assembly’s Korea Peace Forum is a research group of lawmakers developing policies for peace on the Korean Peninsula and inter-Korean reconciliation and cooperation. Park Ji-won and Yoon Kun-young of the Democratic Party are co-chairpersons. Park Sun-won from the National Assembly’s Defense Committee and Kim Joon-hyung from the Diplomatic and Unification Committee of the Joseon Innovation Party act as co-research responsible lawmakers, with participation from 30 members of the opposition parties. Former Minister of Unification Lee Jong-seok was among the attendees at the forum.
In the forum’s research plan, they stated, “In case of an early presidential election, we will design the next government’s Korean Peninsula peace policy and prepare a plan to shape public opinion.” If President Yoon Suk Yeol is impeached by the Constitutional Court and an early presidential election is held, the “three-step theory for denuclearization” could influence the Democratic Party’s North Korea policy platform.