U.S. and Japan Reaffirm North Korea Denuclearization Goal, Discuss Nuclear Threats From China and Russia at Defense Talks

The United States and Japan held the bilateral Extended Deterrence Dialogue at Japan's foreign ministry on Monday and Tuesday and issued a joint statement reaffirming their commitment to the complete denuclearization of North Korea. The joint statement rejected Russia's notion that the DPRK's pursuit of nuclear weapons was a closed issue.

U.S. Efforts to modernize its nuclear forces due to increasing regional nuclear threats. U.S. pursuit of multilateral strategic stability talks to avert a nuclear arms race, address nuclear testing concerns, reduce nuclear risks, bolster transparency, and conduct arms control dialogues with China and Russia.

U.S. State Department and Defense Department, along with Japan's foreign and defense ministries, co-chaired the meeting. U.S. Forces Japan. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un inspected a newly launched nuclear material production facility at an unspecified location on June 3, 2026. The image of the inspection was captured from the Korean Central News Agency website on June 4, 2026.

U.S. Mission to International Organizations in Vienna, spoke at the IAEA board of governors meeting on Tuesday. "Statements and actions by some to state that these programs are a 'closed issue' are unacceptable and undermine the nonproliferation regime," he said.

"We continue to consult closely with the Republic of Korea, Japan, and others to deter DPRK aggression, and we remain committed to the complete denuclearization of the DPRK," Solomon added. U.S. is gravely concerned by North Korea's ongoing nuclear activities.

N. Security Council resolutions," Solomon said. He noted that Pyongyang unveiled purportedly new centrifuges for producing weapons-grade nuclear material last week and announced plans to expand its nuclear forces at an exponential rate.