North Korea’s labor newspaper, the Rodong Sinmun, reported on June 24 that the “expanded meeting of the 12th Plenary Session of the 8th Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea was held from June 21 to 23 under the leadership of General Secretary Kim Jong Un.”
On the 23rd (local time), foreign ministers from the major seven countries (G7), including the United States, United Kingdom, France, and Japan, met in New York during the United Nations General Assembly high-level week, reaffirming the principle of North Korea’s complete denuclearization.
In a joint statement released after the meeting, the G7 foreign ministers stated, “We reaffirm our commitment to the complete denuclearization of North Korea and the immediate resolution of the abduction issue.”
Regarding the Russia-Ukraine war, they expressed concerns over “Russia’s recent violation of Estonian, Polish, and Romanian airspace,” warning that “this is unacceptable and poses a risk to international security.”
Regarding the war in Gaza, the G7 foreign ministers repeatedly called for a ceasefire. They emphasized “the urgency of relieving the immense suffering of Gaza’s civilians through humanitarian aid and the release of all hostages” and reiterated their call for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
Meanwhile, the G7 foreign ministers expressed their support for the E3 (United Kingdom, France, Germany)—which are signatories to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA, Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action)—activating the ‘snapback’ procedure, which signifies the automatic re-imposition of sanctions due to Iran’s non-compliance with the agreement.
They urged “Iran to fully comply with its obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and to fully cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA),” and stated that “Iran must engage in direct dialogue with the United States to ensure a strong, solid, and comprehensive nuclear agreement that ensures Iran never acquires nuclear weapons.”