G7 leaders reaffirm commitment to 'complete denuclearization' of N. Korea in joint statement

WASHINGTON, June 17 (Yonhap) -- The leaders from the Group of Seven (G7) countries reiterated their commitment to the "complete denuclearization" of North Korea in a joint statement released Wednesday, as they held a summit in France this week.

The leaders of the United States, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Japan and Italy issued the statement on geopolitical issues concerning the Indo-Pacific, the Middle East and Ukraine, following their meeting in Evian-les-Bains from Monday to Wednesday.

"We express deep concern about North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programs and reaffirm our commitment to the complete denuclearization of North Korea in accordance with U.N. Security Council resolutions," they said in the statement.

They also urged Pyongyang to "immediately" resolve the issue of abductees, who are thought to have been kidnapped by North Korea in the 1970s and 1980s, and reiterated the need to jointly address North Korea's cryptocurrency thefts and cybercrimes.

Leaders from the Group of Seven nations attend a working session at the G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains, France, on June 16, 2026, in this photo released by the Associated Press. (Yonhap)

In addition, they highlighted the importance of a "free and open" Indo-Pacific based on the rule of law in an apparent expression of concern over China's growing assertiveness in the region.

"We reaffirm our opposition to any unilateral attempts to change the status quo, in particular by force or coercion, in the East and South China Seas and across the Taiwan Strait, which should only be resolved peacefully through dialogue," they said.

The leaders welcomed the recent announcement of a U.S.-Iran deal aimed at ending the monthslong war, saying that it provides an "historic" opportunity to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon and tackling the threats associated with Iran's regional influence and ballistic missile capabilities.

"We support and are ready to contribute to its implementation," they said.