According to the state-run [North] Korean Central News Agency, she said in a statement the previous day that North Korea's status as a nuclear-armed state is "irreversible," regardless of whether others recognize it, and vowed that the country would "never tolerate any threat to or compromise of our sovereignty and security."
Her remarks came just days before Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to visit Pyongyang for the first time in about seven years, as Beijing seeks to mend ties with its traditional ally, which has grown closer to Russia in recent years.
She also dismissed as "false" what she described as U.S. officials' "wishful hopes" that Xi and U.S. President Donald Trump had agreed on North Korean denuclearization during their summit in Beijing last month, adding that she had the "most accurate information," suggesting that Beijing may have briefed Pyongyang on what was discussed.
Citing a recent U.S. arms sale worth $106 million to South Korea including precision-guided bombs such as Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAMs) and related equipment, she said it demonstrated why North Korea needs to keep building up its military arsenal to protect itself.
Satellite imagery suggests it is located in Yongbyon, North Pyongan Province, where leader Kim Jong-un has called for an "exponential" expansion of the country's nuclear arsenal, a move that appeared to boost Pyongyang's leverage in talks ahead of Xi's visit.
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