Overview
- North Korea’s UN ambassador said Thursday his country is not bound by the NPT under any circumstances, issuing the statement through state media during the review conference in New York.
- South Korea, at a side event co‑hosted with France earlier in the week, reaffirmed the goal of full denuclearization but urged phased, flexible steps to manage risk and keep talks possible.
- South Korean officials also warned that the 2024 shutdown of the UN experts panel on North Korea and closer Pyongyang–Moscow ties have made sanctions enforcement and diplomacy harder.
- China used the conference to caution against Japan’s nuclear‑related capabilities, citing 44.4 tons of separated plutonium and urging high vigilance over reprocessing and nuclear sharing.
- Observers at the meeting said the NPT’s credibility is under strain as nuclear powers modernize arsenals, verification and enforcement lag, and even the scope of “peaceful” enrichment remains contested.