北朝鮮核問題に対する国際法的評価と政治的含意 ― 条約の終了及び履行停止とNPTへの適用 ―

In March 1993, North Korea announced its position that it would withdraw from the NPT, but reversed that position in June 1993. Then, after a complicated process, it sent a letter to the UN Security Council in January 2003 withdrawing from the treaty. North Korea claims that it was a legitimate exercise of its right to withdraw from the treaty as stipulated in Article 10 of the NPT. However, the international community does not recognize North Korea's position and wants North Korea to return to the NPT following denuclearization. North Korea is the only country to have withdrawn from the treaty so far; Israel, India, and Pakistan, which developed nuclear weapons outside the NPT regime, have not joined the treaty from the beginning. However, after joining the treaty, North Korea withdrew from it despite opposition from the international community and ultimately succeeded in developing nuclear weapons. The best solution to the North Korean nuclear problem, as desired by the international community, is for North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons and return to the NPT. In this context, this study examines several issues under international law and political implications of North Korea's withdrawal from the NPT. Specifically, it analyzes treaty withdrawals by states in general, the responsibility for and assessment of North Korea's withdrawal from the NPT, and the implications for the international community's opposition to the North Korean nuclear threat.