Foreign ministers from across the Indo-Pacific warned that North Korea’s continued development of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles threatens regional peace and stability, while calling for renewed diplomatic efforts toward the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
The statement was adopted following the 33rd ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and released Saturday by the Philippines, this year’s ARF chair.
The chairman’s statement said participants expressed concern over recent developments on the Korean Peninsula and stressed that “resuming peaceful dialogue among all concerned parties” is essential to achieving lasting peace and stability.
The ministers also voiced “serious concern” over North Korea’s continued nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs, saying they violate U.N. Security Council resolutions and pose a threat to regional security.
The statement called for the full implementation of all relevant U.N. Security Council resolutions and reaffirmed support for international efforts to achieve the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula through peaceful means.
It added that diplomatic engagement should remain the priority, including efforts to create conditions conducive to dialogue, and reaffirmed the ARF’s willingness to play a constructive role alongside other ASEAN-led mechanisms.
North Korea did not attend the meeting for the second consecutive year after boycotting the forum for the first time in 2025. The ARF remains the only ASEAN-led multilateral security forum that includes both North and South Korea, along with the United States, China, Japan and Russia.
The statement retained the phrase “complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula,” matching last year’s wording.
Between 2022 and 2024, ARF statements had endorsed the goal of the “complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization” (CVID) of North Korea. Beginning last year, however, the language shifted to omit the words “verifiable” and “irreversible.”
The change reflects a broader diplomatic emphasis on encouraging dialogue with Pyongyang, which has consistently rejected the CVID framework.
The statement also updated its language on diplomacy. While previous versions called for the continuation of peaceful dialogue, the latest statement instead stressed the need to resume talks, reflecting the prolonged suspension of inter-Korean and U.S.-North Korea negotiations.
Beyond the Korean Peninsula, ministers urged progress toward concluding a legally grounded Code of Conduct for the South China Sea that is consistent with the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). They also called on all parties to avoid actions that could escalate tensions.
The statement further expressed concern over renewed hostilities in the Middle East, particularly involving the United States and Iran, and voiced support for continued diplomatic efforts to achieve lasting regional peace.
