North Korea declared on Wednesday that its status as a nuclear weapons state is "irreversible," condemning a joint pledge by the United States, Japan and South Korea to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula as a "daydream."
Kim Yo-jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, said the country would never abandon its nuclear arsenal, calling it a permanent and essential part of national defense, according to the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
"We don't care about anyone's denial or recognition, and we will never change our option," Kim stated. "This is our steadfast choice that can never be reversed by any physical force or sly artifice."
Her comments were in response to a joint statement issued last Thursday by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya and South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul at a NATO foreign minister meeting in Brussels, where they reaffirmed their commitment to denuclearizing North Korea.
Kim described the trilateral pledge as the "most hostile act" and a complete denial of North Korea’s sovereignty.
She also emphasized that North Korea's nuclear arsenal plays a "key role in deterring aggression and threats from outside forces" and is vital to safeguarding the nation’s security.
