JCP demands North Korea give up nuclear program

Japanese Communist Party Secretariat Head Ichida Tadayoshi published a statement on January 10 on North Korea's announcement of its withdrawal from the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT), demanding that North Korea abandon its nuclear development program that poses a threat to world peace. The text of the statement is as follows:

North Korea today announced its withdrawal from the NPT. This will be another grave step toward North Korea's nuclear development, which follows the breach of a series of promises it has made internationally, including its renunciation of the U.S.-DPRK Framework Agreement and rejection of nuclear inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

The JCP has been opposed to the NPT on the grounds that it will help institutionalize the monopoly of nuclear weapons by the existing nuclear weapons-states. This position of ours is based on the JCP's position that all nuclear weapons must be abolished. It does not mean that we condone the emergence of more nuclear weapons-possessing countries.

North Korea's pullout from the NPT is an act that threatens world peace and therefore is not justifiable for any reason, because its entry into the treaty was an expression of its pledge not to acquire nuclear weapons.

The Japan-DPRK Pyongyang Declaration articulates that both nations will comply with all international agreements concerning nuclear weapons.

In light of this declaration, the JCP demands that North Korea stop taking steps to promote nuclear development, cancel its nuclear weapons program, and return to the position of complying with nuclear-related international promises it has made. (end)