Three envoys say they're prepared for nuke test by North

Sung Kim, Washington's special envoy for North Korea, stressed that the U.S., Korea and Japan are "preparing for all contingencies," including a possible seventh nuclear test by Pyongyang. Speaking with his counterparts Kim Gunn, special..

U.S. special envoy for North Korea Sung Kim speaks in a meeting with his Korean and Japanese counterparts in Seoul on Friday. [YONHAP]

Sung Kim, Washington's special envoy for North Korea, stressed that the U.S., Korea and Japan are “preparing for all contingencies,” including a possible seventh nuclear test by Pyongyang.

Speaking with his counterparts Kim Gunn, special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs, and Takehiro Funakoshi, director-general for Asian and Oceanian affairs bureau of Japan’s Foreign Ministry, Sung Kim said that the United States “assesses that the DPRK is preparing its Punggye-ri test site for what would be its seventh nuclear test.”

DPRK stands for North Korea’s full name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

“We are preparing for all contingencies in close coordination with our Japanese and ROK [Republic of Korea] allies,” Kim said at Korea's Foreign Ministry headquarters in Seoul.

“Furthermore, we are prepared to make both short and longer term adjustments to our military posture as appropriate in responding to any DPRK provocation and as necessary to strengthen both defense and deterrence to protect our allies in the region.”

The meeting of the three nuclear envoys was the first since the inauguration of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration in Seoul last month, and followed 23 ballistic missile launches by North Korea this year, including of an intercontinental ballistic missile on May 25.

Funakoshi highlighted indications in the North that suggested an impending nuclear test.

“Amid such a situation where further provocation including a nuclear test is possible, we need to discuss in depth how we would respond to various situations,” he said, adding his concerns over the veto of a recent resolution at the UN Security Council to sanction the North for its recent provocations.

Russia and China vetoed the resolution, the first time since 2006 that UNSC members were split on such a resolution.

Signs that the regime is gearing up for a seventh nuclear test were perceived in satellite images last month of the Punggye-ri testing site, the site for all six previous nuclear tests.

The last nuclear test by the North was in 2017, after which it adhered to a moratorium on nuclear weapons and ICBM tests for what it called “confidence building” efforts for dialogue with the United States. That détente fell through with the collapse of the 2019 Hanoi summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

Kim Gunn, who began his job three weeks ago, said that Pyongyang’s continued development of its nuclear program will “only end up strengthening our deterrence” and “reduce security for North Korea itself.”

The three envoys all said it is not too late for North Korea to choose dialogue and diplomacy.

“Taking opportunity of this occasion, I would like to express concern at the grave hardship faced by the North Korean people due to the ongoing Covid-19 outbreak,” Kim said. “I'd also like to reiterate our willingness to provide Covid-19-related humanitarian assistance to North Korea, as expressed by President Yoon Suk-yeol.”

“The only viable path forward for the DPRK is through diplomatic negotiations,” said Sung Kim. “I want to note that we continue to support humanitarian cooperation [including] the provision of Covid-19-related relief including vaccines to the DPRK. We hope the DPRK will respond positively to international offers of cooperation.”

Prior to the meeting, Kim Gunn met with his Japanese and American counterparts in bilateral meetings on Friday.

From left, Takehiro Funakoshi, director-general for Asian and Oceanian affairs bureau of Japan’s Foreign Ministry; Kim Gunn, special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs; and Sung Kim, U.S. special envoy for North Korea, in their meeting in Seoul on Friday. [YONHAP]

BY ESTHER CHUNG [chung.juhee@joongang.co.kr]