Committee General Assembly 1:

Disarmament and International Security Committee

Issue The Issue of Strengthening Peace and Denuclearisation

efforts in the Korean Peninsula

Name Lester Joseph D. Buitizon

Position Chair

Introduction
On the 25th of June 1950, during the development of the Cold War, thousands of North
Korean forces backed up by the Soviets and Chinese poured over the 38th parallel
signalling the beginning of the Korean War. Just two days later, the UNSC adopts a
resolution calling for all UN member states to assist South Korea. With that, the entirety
of the 1st and 2nd world are once again in direct conflict. The war was a horrific
experience for the world, especially to all Koreans, but the war was also coined as the
forgotten war because on the 27th of July 1953: the Koreas sign an armistice
agreement, signifying cease-fire but not the end of the war. It was only recently, on April
27, 2018 during the Panmunjom Declaration that the Koreas decided to officially work
together to end the war and declare their common goal of Peace, Prosperity and
Reunification of the Korean Peninsula. However, due to differences in national interest
and the long standing tension due to continuous military developments in the 55 years
in between the cease-fire and Panmunjom, there is still a lot to do before total peace.
Definition of Key Terms

Term Definition (source)

38th Parallel The line of latitude 38 degrees North (38°

N), in East Asia, which roughly marks the
border between North Korea and South
Korea: set by the U.S. in 1945 as a
military boundary.

DMZ The Demilitarized zone region on the

Korean peninsula that demarcates North
Korea from South Korea. It roughly
follows the 38th parallel.

Panmunjom Declaration A declaration adopted between North and

South Korea wherein it was agreed upon
to cooperate on officially ending the
Korean War and the Korean conflict, with
promises of improved relations, less
tension, and even denuclearisation.

armistice An armistice is a formal agreement of

warring parties to stop fighting. It is not
necessarily the end of a war, since it may
 constitute only a cessation of hostilities
while an attempt is made to negotiate a
lasting peace.

denuclearisation The act of prohibiting nuclear weapons

which means denuclearized nations shall
not test, manufacture, produce, receive,
possess, store, deploy or use nuclear
weapons.

ICBM An intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM)

is a guided ballistic missile with a
minimum range of 5,500 kilometres
(3,400 mi) primarily designed for nuclear
weapons delivery (delivering one or more
thermonuclear warheads).

Korean Reunification Korean reunification refers to the potential

unification of North Korea and South
Korea into a single Korean sovereign
state.

NPT The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of

Nuclear Weapons, commonly known as
 the Non-Proliferation Treaty or NPT, is an
international treaty whose objective is to
prevent the spread of nuclear weapons
and weapons technology

Sunshine Policy The Sunshine Policy is the Korean foreign

policy of diplomatic friendliness to North
Korea in order to less tension and benefit
the common people such as separated
families. The effectiveness of the policy is
debated on in Korea.

IAEA The International Atomic Energy Agency

is an international organization that seeks
to promote the peaceful use of nuclear
energy, and to inhibit its use for any
military purpose, including nuclear
weapons.
Background Information
Post peace talks
Promises of denuclearization and disarmament seemed promising during mid 2018 as
North and South Korea, along with the United States, started discussing peace. The
talks during this time saw the North Korean leader acknowledging the possibility of
denuclearization. Demands have been made to the United States, however, that North
Korea will not relax its show of military force if the United States also does so.

The idea of the possible reunification of Korean peninsula sparked ripples of debates
amongst Koreans. Although signs of unity coming from the historic peace talks, which is
the first time a North Korean and American head of state meet, are seen experts claim
that because of the brinkman diplomatic doctrines of North Korea clashing with South
Korean and American interests, the peace talks have only shown a possibility of peace
but has had no direct effect.

Tensions rising
Tension has been rising once again in the peninsula despite past diplomatic talks. North
Korea has sent ICBM missiles over Japanese and South Korean areas of influence in
the past. Now North Korea has not launched any ICBMs allegedly but has continued to
test short range ballistic missiles. The United States National Security Council claims
that the technology of North Korea ICBMs have improved ever since the beginning of
the Trump administration and that nuclear technological development has not seemed
to die down. South Korean diplomatic relations with the North have seemingly worsened
to the point where it has been coined recently in news media that North Korea has
already shut down peace talks with the South. The presence of American military
around the peninsulas seas and sky and within the DMZ is stronger than ever.

6 party talks and non-proliferation

North Korea is estimated to have a nuclear arsenal of approximately 20–30 weapons
and sufficient fissile material for an additional 30–60 nuclear weapons. There was a
time back in late 1985 where North Korea vowed not to use nuclear weapons by
acceding the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, which three pillars
are: to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and weapons technology, to promote
cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, and to further the goal of achieving
nuclear disarmament and general and complete disarmament. North Korea started to
show signs of desiring to withdraw from the agreement starting 12 March 1993 but
officially did so on January 10, 2003 following U.S. allegations that it had started an
illegal enriched uranium weapons program. Following sanctions after the withdrawal
from the United Nations and its member states did not stop North Korean pursuit of
advancing their nuclear arsenal.

North Korea publicly declared that it possessed nuclear weapons on February 10, 2005.
Subsequently pulling out of the 6 party talks created by China to encourage
denuclearization and diplomatic relations in the region. They returned on July, just two
months after and from 2005 - 2009, North Korea along with the 5 other members of the
6 party talks: China, the United States, Japan, South Korea, and the Russian
Federation; made significant progress in creating plans for denuclearization and
identifying important issues in the region. It was rare, however, for these plans to come
to fruition and to be taken action because of the myriad of tension between the 6 party
members. In 2009, the 6 party talks officially ended when North Korea proceeded on
doing a satellite rocket test which the international community suspected was actually
an ICBM test. The launch failed and the rocket crashed in the Pacific Ocean, despite
this, POTUS Barack Obama condemned the launch and urged the United Nations
Security Council to sanction North Korea. After the sanctions were passed, North Korea
officially dropped the 6 party-talks and it has been dormant ever since. There have been
multiple shows of willingness by the members of the 6 party talks to resume the
summits but there hasn’t been any fulfillment.

Major Countries and Organisations Involved

United Nations Security Council
The United Nations Security Council has adopted at least 21 resolutions concerning
North Korea and only 5 of which were made during the Korean War. Sanctions and
condemnation are common from the UNSC towards North Korea especially concerning
North Korea’s lack of cooperation in fulfilling the agreements of the non-proliferation act.

Republic of Korea
North and South Korea used to be one nation until they were conquered by Japan. After
WWII, the Koreas split into two states with contrasting ideologies. South Korea has
always had a tense, almost violent, relationship with its Northern counterpart especially
involving the South’s alliance with the United States and its participation in war games.
South Korea is always first in supporting sanctions drafted in the United Nations’
assemblies. Recently, however, North and South Korean relationships have warmed. In
the 2018 Asian Games, North and South competed as one delegation. The North
adjusted its time zone to uniform with the South. Multiple families that were divided
during the Korean War reunited. The Sunshine Policy, a controversial South Korean
foreign policy where tensions are eased through the use of grants and state gifts, has
been endorsed by the current South Korean president. Out of every nation in the world,
it is South Korea that is in the shadow of the nuclear threat that North Korea provides,
but despite this, the North and South may still cooperate in order to erase historical
grievances and move towards peace.

Democratic People’s Republic of Korea

The DPRK, as a nuclear state that is not a signatory of the Non-proliferation Treaty, is a
threat to the international community. The nation holds nuclear warheads that can reach
as far as the United States on the other side of the globe. The country believes that
these weapons of mass destruction are an instrument to defend their nation against
imperialism. The presence of its nuclear arsenal does give them leverage in diplomatic
talks as the military capabilities of an agitated North Korea cannot be underestimated.
But because of the constant human rights abuses, infringement of neighboring
countries’ sovereignty, and lack of cooperation with the international community: North
Korea suffers from sanctions and lack of trade that has crippled the nation’s economy.
Ironically, it has come to the point where South Korea has become its biggest trade
partner because of the current warming relationship between the two countries. China is
still seen as North Korea’s most stalwart ally. While Pyongyang seems to have opened
itself to more bilateral talks with Washington recently, the national interests of North
Korea may still seem questionable to some. However, North Korea immediately needs
resources for its people and international respect, with this in mind, the nation may still
yet cooperate with other United Nations member states to partake in peace and
denuclearisation efforts.

The United States of America

The United States is a major player in the issue of peace and denuclearisation in Korea.
Particularly because North Korea has been interested in the pursuit of nuclear
technology in the first place in order to repel threats to its nation such as the US who
was instrumental in their lack of victory during the Korean War. Throughout the time
between the liberation of Korea from the Japanes to now, the US has been a close ally
to the South. Currently the US has military bases in the country and actual military
personnel guarding the DMZ side by side with South Korea. The US is also one of the
largest sanctioneers of North Korea. This, along with the perpetual American military
presence in the peninsula has agitated North Korea. Lately however, the US has made
historic leaps in its diplomatic effort to make peace with North Korea. The possibility
denuclearization of the Korean peninsula may be directly related to the relationship
between the United States and North Korea.
China, Russia, and Japan
China, Russia, and Japan are all important players in the denuclearization of the Korean
peninsula. China and Russia have been known to be the closest allies of North Korea.
While the Russian Federation is not as close to North Korea now compared to the
Soviet era, Russia and China still have significant diplomatic influence towards North
Korea. China, Russia, and Japan are all signatories of the non-proliferation act and
members of the 6 party talks. Japan itself, is often provoked by North Korean missile
tests especially when North Korea sends ICBM tests masked as satellite launches go
through Japanese mainland territory. It is then in the best interest of Japan for Korea to
denuclearize.

Timeline of Events

Date of Event Description of Event

August 1948 North and South Korea are established as

separate states.

June 1950 The Korean War begins. Resolution 83 is

adopted authorizing UN member states to
provide military assistance to South Korea.

July 1953 Peace talks lead to an armistice. The DMZ is

established following the 38th Parallel.

December 1985 North Korea accedes to the NPT.

September 1991 The United States and Russia withdraw all
nuclear weapons from Korea in order to begin
the denuclearization process.

November 1991 South Korea announces the Declaration on

the Denuclearization of the Korean
Peninsula, under which South Korea
promises not to produce, possess, store,
deploy, or use nuclear weapons.

January 1992 The South-North Joint Declaration on the

Denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula by
both North and South Korea.

July 1994 Kim Il Sung dies and is succeeded by Kim

Jong Il. By this time North Korea has already
amassed multiple nuclear weapons. North
Korean nuclearization flourishes during the
Jong Il administration.

January 1996 North Korea agrees in principle to a meeting

on missile proliferation issues but demands
the United States would have to ease
economic sanctions before it could agree on
a date and venue for the talks

October 1996 Proliferation talks are left fruitless as North

Korea demands the US to compensate for
the monetary loss of denuclearizing. The US
strictens sanctions against North Korea and
Iran for the continuous nuclear development.

June 1997 The second round of U.S.-North Korean

missile talks takes place. Parties reach no
agreement.
August 1997 The United States imposes new sanctions on
two additional North Korean entities for
unspecified missile-proliferation activities.

February 1998 South Korean President Kim Dae-jung

announces his “sunshine policy,” which
strives to improve inter-Korean relations
through peace, reconciliation, and
cooperation. More sanctions are imposed on
North Korea a month later.

October 1998 The third round of U.S.-North Korean missile

talks begins in New York but makes little
progress. The United States repeats its
request for Pyongyang to terminate its missile
programs in exchange for relief from
economic sanctions. North Korea rejects the
U.S. proposal.

June 2000 North and South Korea sign a joint

declaration stating they have “agreed to
resolve” the question of reunification of the
Korean Peninsula. The agreement includes
promises to reunite families divided by the
Korean War and to pursue other economic
and cultural exchanges. No commitments are
made regarding nuclear weapons or missile
programs or military deployments in the
Demilitarized Zone. American sanctions are
relaxed.

January 2002 Past talks between the US and North Korea

are rendered useless. The Bush
Administration enters the US and condemns
North Korea as a part of an “axis of evil”.
 North Korean-American relations worsen

November 2002 North Korea vows to continue its nuclear

missile tests if Japanese-North Korean
relations and bilateral talks do not reach into
any agreement.

January 2003 North Korea kicks out IAEA out of the

country. IAEA ​adopts a resolution
condemning North Korea's decision to restart
its nuclear reactor and resume operation of
its related facilities. North Korea announces
its withdrawal from the nuclear
Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT)

July 2006 The UN Security Council adopts Resolution

1695 condemning North Korea’s missile
launches. The resolution calls on Pyongyang
to return to the six-party talks and “demands”
that the country suspend its ballistic-missile
activities and re-establish its flight-testing
moratorium. Japan and Australia sanctions
North Korea.

By this time, North Korea refuses to adhere to

any international protest against its
nuclearization and continues to advance its
nuclear capabilities by conducting countless
of Nuclear missile test flights and
underground detonations.

December 2007 IAEA returns to North Korea. Six party talks

resumed at this point. A large sum of money
from frozen North Korean assets in the
United States is returned to North Korea
 through Chinese banks, in exchange, North
Korea cooperates with the 6 party talks and
shuts down a controversial Nuclear plant and
testing facility, IAEA confirms the adherence.

January 2010 South Korea officially participates in the

Proliferation Security Initiative. North and
South Korean tension worsens as South
Korea states it would invade North Korea if
there was the threat of a nuclear strike. More
nuclear tests happen throughout the year,
followed by American sanctions.

July 2010 The United States and South Korea begin a

four-day joint military exercise in the Sea of
Japan as a show of force

February 2011 U.S. and South Korean forces conduct

large-scale joint military exercises. North
Korea threatens to turn Seoul into a “sea of
fire” in response to the exercises, which U.S.
officials claim was planned long in advance of
the recent peak in tensions.

December 2011 Kim Jong Un takes place as North Korea’s

leader following the death of his father. In the
following years, North Korea tests more
nuclear weapons than in the past years.

March 2014 China declares a “red line” on North Korea,

saying it will not permit war or chaos on the
Korean peninsula and that the only path to
peace can only come through
denuclearization. The UNSC condemns North
Korea’s missile launches, which have now
 reached ICBM grade capabilities.

April 2014 North Korea and South Korea fire hundreds

of artillery shells across the disputed Western
Sea border. While the shells fall harmlessly
into the water, it is the most serious
confrontation since an artillery duel in 2010.
South Korea responds with its own missile
tests.

April 2017 U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese

President Xi Jinping meet and agree to
cooperate more closely on achieving
denuclearization of North Korea following
years of intensified nuclear tests under the
Kim Jong Un regime.

January 2018 South Korea says it is willing to meet with

North Korea and proposes talks at
Panmunjom. To discuss the possibility of
talks, North Korea reestablishes a hotline
between the two states that it had
disconnected nearly two years ago after the
Kaesong industrial complex was shut down.
The US and South Korea postpones war
games in order to lessen tension before the
Winter Olympics.

April 2018 Japan and the US continues bilateral talks

involving Japanes commitment in the Korean
peninsula’s denuclearizationa. Kim Jong Un
meets Xi Jingping in his first meeting with
another head of state ever since his regime.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South
Korean President Moon Jae-in meet in
 Panmunjom on the border of North and South
Korea in the first high-level summit between
Kim and Moon and the third ever meeting of
North and South Korean leaders. Kim and
Moon issue a joint declaration, including
agreements to facilitate "groundbreaking
advancement" in inter-Korean relations, "to
make joint efforts to practically eliminate the
danger of war on the Korean peninsula," and
to cooperate to "establish a permanent peace
regime on the Korean peninsula."

May 2018 South Korean President Moon Jae-in and

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un meet
unexpectedly for a second time in
Panmunjom. The two sides agree to host
high-level inter-Korean talks on June 1, to
follow with talks between military authorities
to reduce tensions and between the Red
Cross to push forward scheduled family
reunions, to accelerate the April 27
Panmunjom declaration and to ensure that
the June 12 U.S.-North Korean summit still
goes ahead.

June 2018 U.S. President Trump meets with North

Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Singapore at
the Capella hotel in the first summit between
the sitting leaders of the two countries. Trump
and Kim sign a joint declaration agreeing to
"establish new US-DPRK relations," "build a
lasting and stable peace regime on the
Korean peninsula" and recover POW/MIA
remains. Kim also committed to "work toward
complete denuclearization on the Korean
 peninsula" and Trump committed to provide
security guarantees for North Korea. This is
followed by more bilateral talks individually
between China and North Korea, South and
North Korea, the US and North Korea. Peace
process and denuclearization seems to have
hope.

January 2019 Kim Jong Un delivers his annual New Years

Address, stating that he is willing to meet
U.S. President Donald Trump at "anytime"
and committing "that we would neither make
and test nuclear weapons any longer nor use
and proliferate them,"

Kim Jong Un travels to Beijing for his fourth

summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
North Korean state news KCNA reports that
Kim and Xi discussed the "denuclearization
process" and that Xi accepted an invitation to
visit North Korea "at a convenient time."

March 2019 American and South Korean joint military

drills are dissolved.

May 2019 North Korea once again test short range

ballistic missiles.

U.S. President Donald Trump says he does

not consider North Korea's missile tests a
"breach of trust" by Kim Jong Un or a
violation of UN Security Council resolutions.
Afterwards, says he received another
"beautiful letter" from North Korean Leader
Kim Jong Un. Trump says something "will
 happen very soon that's going to be very
positive."

June 2019 Chinese President Xi Jinping travels to

Pyongyang for the first time. During his
summit meeting with North Korean leader
Kim Jong Un, Xi emphasizes the importance
of strengthening cooperation between the two
countries and praises North Korea's efforts to
promote denuclearization.

U.S. President Donald Trump meets with

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at the DMZ
and becomes the first sitting U.S. President to
set foot in North Korea. The leaders agree to
resume negotiations and say working level
talks will restart within the next several
weeks.
Solutions (Past and Possible)
The United Nations and a lot of its foremost mentioned member states have done
almost all possible diplomatic actions to solve this issue: countless of sanctions have
been placed on North Korea; military, diplomatic, and economic pressure increases
every year. What seemed to be the most effective out of all was South Korea, China,
and the United States bilateral talks with North Korea. During these talks in recent
years, North Korea has shown its willingness to cooperate with the international
community granted it is respected as a sovereign state unlike how it was branded as a
terrorist state back during the earliest years of the Korean Nuclear Crisis.

Therefore, these actions can be done in order to strengthen peace and denuclearization
efforts in the Korean Peninsula: Firstly, the UN member states must decide what tactic
must be used involving sanctions against North Korea, whether it is to be loosened or
tightened; secondly, the UN must ensure that the diplomatic negotiations with North
Korea must continue on smoothly; thirdly, the conventions of the past summits must be
ensured and further actions towards denuclearization must be solidified possibly
through a UN DISEC resolution.
Resources for further Reading

● Panmunjom Declaration for Peace, Prosperity and Unification of the Korean

Peninsula (2018)
http://down.mofa.go.kr/eng/brd/m_5478/down.do?brd_id=308&seq=319130&data_tp=A&
file_seq=1
● Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (1968)
https://www.iaea.org/sites/default/files/publications/documents/infcircs/1970/infcirc140.pd
f
● The South-North Joint Declaration on the Denuclearization of the Korean
Peninsula (1992)
https://peacemaker.un.org/sites/peacemaker.un.org/files/KR%20KP_920120_JointDecla
rationDenuclearizationKoreanPeninsula.pdf
● Six Party Talks (2003)
https://media.nti.org/pdfs/6ptalks.pdf
● S/RES/2464 (2019)
https://www.securitycouncilreport.org/atf/cf/%7B65BFCF9B-6D27-4E9C-8CD3-CF6E4FF
96FF9%7D/s_res_2464.pdf
● S/RES/2407 (2018)
http://www.securitycouncilreport.org/atf/cf/%7B65BFCF9B-6D27-4E9C-8CD3-CF6E4FF9
6FF9%7D/s_res_2407.pdf
● S/RES/2397 (2017)
http://www.securitycouncilreport.org/atf/cf/%7B65BFCF9B-6D27-4E9C-8CD3-CF6E4FF9
6FF9%7D/s_res_2397.pdf
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