Chairman Kerry On North Korea’s Nuclear Program

WASHINGTON, D.C. – In reaction to reports that North Korea has built a new facility to secretly enrich uranium, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry (D-MA) issued the following statement:

“Today’s troubling report underscores the need for continued close consultations with South Korea and our other partners with the goal of reconvening multilateral talks on the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.   North Korea’s activities should also prompt the UN to reexamine the effectiveness of efforts to implement existing sanctions against the North’s nuclear program.  As a close and influential ally and North Korea’s largest trading partner, China is well-positioned to enhance the international community's enforcement activities.”

"Only a comprehensive approach that can achieve security, peace, and development offers any hope of verifiably eliminating North Korea's nuclear weapons. The longer it takes to launch that effort, the longer the United States and its allies will be forced to cope with the destabilizing consequences of the DPRK's reckless and irresponsible pursuit and export of highly-sensitive technologies."

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