North Korea Reaffirms Commitment to Nuclear Arsenal Amid US, South Korea, Japan Talks

North Korea has reiterated its commitment to maintaining its nuclear arsenal in response to a joint statement from the foreign ministers of the United States, South Korea, and Japan, which reaffirmed the goal of North Korea's complete denuclearization. The North also rejected the call for dialogue, stating it cannot coexist with demands for denuclearization.
 
In a statement released through the Korean Central News Agency on September 24, Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui declared, "We reaffirm our unwavering commitment to nuclear possession, which cannot be reversed by any means, now or in a thousand years."
 
Choe criticized the joint statement from the three nations, saying it reflects their outdated confrontational stance against North Korea under the guise of unrealistic denuclearization goals. She asserted that despite any changes in rhetoric, the U.S. and its allies have not abandoned their "impossible delusion" of denuclearization.
 
Addressing the call for renewed dialogue, Choe stated, "The coexistence of confrontation and dialogue may work for others, but it is absolutely not an option for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea." This indicates that North Korea will not accept a framework that demands denuclearization while pursuing talks.
 
Choe argued that nuclear weapons are essential for safeguarding national sovereignty, claiming that the more the U.S. and its allies advocate for denuclearization, the more justification they provide for North Korea to strengthen its nuclear capabilities. She emphasized that denying reality equates to abandoning the future, urging the U.S. and its allies to acknowledge North Korea's nuclear status.
 
Choe maintained that North Korea's status as a nuclear power will persist, asserting that a geopolitical reconfiguration centered around a nuclear-armed North Korea is inevitable. This reaffirms North Korea's longstanding position against the backdrop of the joint statement from the U.S., South Korea, and Japan.
 
Earlier, on September 21, South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi met in New York and issued a joint statement. The three countries reaffirmed their commitment to North Korea's complete denuclearization and urged the North to return to dialogue. The South Korean Foreign Ministry stated that it would maintain a deterrent posture against North Korean threats while cooperating to achieve peace, stability, and denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula through dialogue and diplomacy.