Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui said Pyongyang's nuclear status was irreversible and would remain unchanged for “a hundred or a thousand years,” according to a statement carried by the state-run Korean Central News Agency.
“I reaffirm and reconfirm in the strongest tone of voice the steadfast will of our state to keep nuclear weapons through all ages,” Choe said.
She accused South Korea, the U.S. and Japan of pursuing an “unrealistic” goal by continuing to call for North Korea's denuclearization and said their position showed they had not abandoned what Pyongyang considers a hostile policy.
Choe also rejected the notion that pressure and dialogue could be pursued simultaneously.
“The coexistence of confrontation and dialogue” cannot be considered by North Korea, she said, adding that no country could force Pyongyang to retreat from what it regards as the defense of its sovereignty and core interests.
She said North Korea viewed nuclear weapons as a central element of its sovereignty and the ultimate guarantee of national security, arguing that continued calls for denuclearization would only strengthen Pyongyang's case for expanding its arsenal.
Foreign ministers of South Korea, the U.S. and Japan met in New York on Monday on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly and reaffirmed their commitment to the complete denuclearization of North Korea while calling for Pyongyang to return to dialogue.
The statement was issued by South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi.
Lee said the immediate priority should be to halt further advances in North Korea's nuclear and missile capabilities, followed by their reduction in the medium term and, ultimately, progress toward a Korean Peninsula without nuclear weapons. He also pledged to help create conditions for the resumption of U.S.-North Korea talks.
The exchange underscores the gap between Pyongyang and Seoul as diplomatic maneuvering intensifies around a possible revival of talks between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
Trump said in August that he planned to meet Kim later this year. The two leaders met three times during Trump's first term, but negotiations broke down after their 2019 summit in Hanoi failed to produce an agreement on sanctions relief and North Korea's nuclear program.
KNCA reported that Vice foreign minister Kim Son Gyong left Pyongyang to take part in the UN General Assembly. He is expected to deliver further Pyongyang stance.
AJP Takeaways
- North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui declared Thursday that Pyongyang would keep its nuclear weapons “through all ages,” calling its nuclear status irreversible and permanent.
- North Korea responses to trilateral foreign ministers' statement and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung's United Nations address.
- Vice foreign minister Kim Son Gyong to address U.N. high-level debate on Sept. 24.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.
