The foreign ministers of the Quad nations—the United States, Japan, Australia, and India—met in New Delhi on May 26, 2026, and issued a joint statement calling for the complete denuclearization of North Korea. They reaffirmed their commitment to UN Security Council resolutions, condemned Pyongyang's ballistic missile and weapons of mass destruction programs, and urged strict enforcement of sanctions against the country [1, 2, 3].
Two days later, on May 28, North Korea strongly rejected the Quad's call. A spokesperson for the North Korean Foreign Ministry declared, "Explicitly speaking once again, the ‘denuclearisation’ of the DPRK will never happen forever," and labeled the Quad as "nothing but a political and diplomatic tool serving the US strategy for unipolar domination" [1, 2, 3].
In its response, North Korea accused the Quad of taking a hostile stance and urged the group to cease actions undermining regional peace and stability. The statement also criticized the Quad for being used to justify Japan's remilitarization and Australia's acquisition of nuclear-powered submarines [1, 2].
An official from the South Korean Unification Ministry assessed North Korea's reaction as milder than previous years. The official noted that this year's response differed by targeting not only the US but also Japan and Australia, and appeared to defend China’s position [1, 2].
The meeting in New Delhi marked the third foreign minister-level Quad summit since September 2024 [3]. No further meetings or diplomatic engagements have been announced following the latest exchanges.
