In December 1991, South and North Korea agreed to the Joint Declaration on the Denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. However, North Korea ignored the agreement and devoted all of its capabilities to nuclear development internally. North Korea defied international sanctions and pressure and eventually became a nuclear power. North Korea insisted on the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula in exchange for the withdrawal of U.S. tactical nuclear weapons from the peninsula and the withdrawal of U.S. troops. South Africa is the only case of a successful nuclear state deciding to denuclearize on its own. Libya abandoned its nuclear program after failing to develop nuclear weapons. Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and Belarus turned over all of their nuclear weapons to Russia after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. South Africa and Libya joined the Pelindaba Treaty to complete the denuclearization of Africa, and Kazakhstan concluded the Semipalatinsk Treaty to agree to the denuclearization of Central Asia. The Joint Declaration on the Denuclearization could also theoretically evolve into a Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone Treaty. However, this is unlikely to happen if North Korea fails to denuclearize. Now, negotiated denuclearization of North Korea is unlikely. In this context, this study examines the legal and political issues related to the establishment of the NWFZ treaty regime and the five NWFZ treaties, with implications for the Joint Declaration on the Denuclearization.

Ⅰ. Introduction
Ⅱ. NWFZ Treaty Regime
1. Process
2. Treaty Regime
Ⅲ. Five NWFZ Treaties
1. Tlatelolco Treaty
2. Rarotonga Treaty
3. Bangkok Treaty
4. Pelindaba Treaty
5. Semipalatinsk Treaty
6. Assessment
Ⅳ. Implications for the Denuclearization of the Korean
Peninsula and Northeast Asia
1. Denuclearization Claims and
Progress on the Korean
Peninsula
2. Comparison of the Joint
Declaration on the Denuclearization and the NWFZ
Treaty
3. North Korea's Withdrawal
from the NPT and Nuclear
Development
Ⅴ. Concluding Remarks