ASEAN should press its Plus Three partners on denuclearization

As East Asia teeters on the edge of a nuclear catastrophe, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) must no longer adopt a passive approach and demand transparent responses from China, Japan, and South Korea at their upcoming summit in Manila next month. Southeast Asia's closest neighbor, both strategically and geographically, has a direct interest in nonproliferation within the region. With global tensions escalating, this dialogue must extend beyond mere diplomatic exchanges.

During their summit sessions with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung, ASEAN leaders must raise this sensitive issue openly and candidly. Their three compelling reasons to do so include North Korea's evolving nuclear capabilities, the evolving defense postures of South Korea and Japan, and China's unique leverage as Pyongyang's principal ally.

As the former Army general and president of ASEAN's natural leader, Prabowo Subianto, should possess a clear strategic vision and a comprehensive understanding of the peninsula's security dynamics. In July, he dispatched his foreign minister, Sugiono, to Pyongyang to evaluate the prospects for a presidential visit, drawing on Jakarta's longstanding diplomatic ties with North Korea.

ASEAN must confront Pyongyang's aggressive stance head-on. Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un, recently dismissed ASEAN's joint call for denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula following the ARF in Manila as "stupid" and "foolish." Russia reportedly defended North Korea's nuclear arsenal during that forum.

In response, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un emphatically denounced and rejected the hostile attitude of the international community, stating that ASEAN's support for denuclearization is a grave violation of the constitution of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).