U.S. President Barack Obama and Southeast Asian leaders joined forces Friday to call on North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons and programs and return to the nuclear nonproliferation regime.
Obama and the leaders of the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations urged North Korea to "implement its commitments under the September 19, 2005 Joint Statement of the Six Party Talks to abandon all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programs and return, at an early date, to the NPT and to IAEA safeguards."
In a statement released at the end of Obama's meeting with the ASEAN leaders in New York on the margins of the U.N. General Assembly, they also urged the North to "comply fully with its obligations in accordance with the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions."
The U.N. resolutions 1718 and 1874 were adopted early last year after North Korea's nuclear and missile tests to slap sanctions on the North until the impoverished, but nuclear-armed communist state abandons its nuclear ambitions in accordance with the six-party deal signed in 2005.
The deal calls for the North's nuclear dismantlement in return for massive economic aid, diplomatic recognition by Washington and Tokyo, and the establishment of a peace regime to replace the armistice that ended the 1950-53 Korean War.
Citing the sanctions, North Korea boycotted the nuclear talks. Prospects for their resumption have worsened in recent months over the sinking of the Cheonan, a South Korean warship, in March.
Seoul blames Pyongyang for the incident despite the North's denial.
Seoul and Washington have demanded Pyongyang apologize and show denuclearization commitment to foster an atmosphere suitable for reopening the six-party talks that involve the two Koreas, the U.S., China, Japan and Russia.
North Korea has appeared to respond with a series of conciliatory gestures in recent weeks, amid allegations of ailing leader Kim Jong-il grooming his youngest son, Jong-un, as his successor.
The North has proposed a military dialogue with South Korea, initiated talks on a new round of family reunions for those separated by the division of the Korean Peninsula, returned seven crew members of a South Korean fishing boat caught along the sea border last month and requested aid to recover from recent floods.
In another positive sign, North Korean media Wednesday announced the promotion of three diplomats in charge of the six-party talks, including the promotion of First Vice Foreign Minister Kang Sok-ju to deputy prime minister, Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kye-gwan to first vice foreign minister and Ri Yong-ho, Kim's deputy to the nuclear talks, to vice foreign minister.
Kang, the chief negotiator who signed the bilateral nuclear deal with the U.S. in 1994, is said to be the closest aide to North Korean leader Kim in foreign affairs.