North Korea’s Nuclear Test Drives the Peace of the Korean Peninsula over the Edge Again

The Korea Central News Agency formally announced today (May 25) that North Korea successfully conducted the second nuclear test. The Center for Peace and Disarmament of the PSPD(People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy) strongly denounces North Korea’s repeated attempts to acquire nuclear weapons and brinkmanship endangering the peace of the Korean Peninsula.

North Korea insists that possession of nuclear weapons contribute to security and peace of the Korean Peninsula. The PSPD firmly disapproves its argument and assertion since weapons of mass destruction will not bring security and peace to Korea and will never be able to sustain the peace.

The PSPD is strongly against development and production of nuclear weapons regardless of who possesses including the US and North Korea and what is the purpose such as attacking, defending or deterring as well as the behind reason for nuclear test done by North Korea is to bring a bilateral dialogue with the US. It is because nuclear weapons fundamentally connote the threats of mass destruction.

North Korea’s nuclear test violates the Declaration on Denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. The violation increases uncertainty of its peace and aggravate arms-racing not only in the Korean Peninsula but also in the Northeast Asia. There is no doubt that North Korea is surely aware of the consequences that we, both South and North Korea, are the one who have to bear pain and burden after all.

North Korea’s nuclear test protesting against the US is such an incomprehensible action that neglecting the current situation of the South Korean society whose people are in shock and grief of losing their former president Roh Moohyun.

It is necessary to repeatedly emphasize that resolution of conflict over nuclear issues through dialogues and negotiations and the conversion of the Korean pensinsula towards a peace regime are already agreed by participants of the Six-Party Talks. People are also agreed with this kind of solutions. The Korean government and the US should try harder for peaceful resolution. The North Korean authority must fulfill the correspondent matters as well as the South Korea and the US.

The PSPD urges North Korea to stop extreme confrontation and reckless provocation. It will only make all the efforts for denuclearization and the peace of the Peninsula end in smoke.