Kim Jong-un's sister slams G7 call for denuclearisation, defends nuclear arms as 'means of self-defence'
Seoul, June 18
Kim Yo-jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, on Thursday denounced international calls for denuclearisation, describing the country's nuclear weapons as its "core interests" and denuclearisation as a "line of no retreat that can never be crossed," Pyongyang's state media reported.
In a statement carried by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Kim Yo-jong criticised the United States and its allies for making what she called "anachronistic" demands for North Korea's denuclearisation, Yonhap news agency reported.
Kim's remarks came in response to a joint statement issued by leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) nations at their summit in Paris on Wednesday, which reaffirmed their commitment to the "complete denuclearisation" of North Korea in line with UN Security Council resolutions.
Dismissing the G7's demand outright, she said denuclearisation was "an irreversibly finalised agenda" that "can never be realised."
"Nuclear weapons are powerful means of defending sovereignty and a cornerstone for ensuring peace, defined by the law of the DPRK," she said, claiming its nuclear arsenal is "a means for self-defence."
DPRK stands for North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
"Anyone who tries to hurt the core interests of a nuclear weapons state would make the worst option of inviting disaster," she warned.
The leaders of the United States, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Japan and Italy issued the statement on geopolitical issues concerning the Indo-Pacific, the Middle East and Ukraine, following their meeting in Evian-les-Bains from Monday to Wednesday.
"We express deep concern about North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programs and reaffirm our commitment to the complete denuclearization of North Korea in accordance with U.N. Security Council resolutions," they said in the statement.
They also urged Pyongyang to "immediately" resolve the issue of abductees, who are thought to have been kidnapped by North Korea in the 1970s and 1980s, and reiterated the need to jointly address North Korea's cryptocurrency thefts and cybercrimes.
— IANS
Reader Comments
While I understand the G7's concern, isn't it a bit rich for them to preach denuclearisation when the US has thousands of nukes and NATO shares them? Kim Yo-jong's argument about self-defence isn't entirely baseless - look what happened to Iraq and Libya when they gave up their WMD programmes. But at the same time, North Korea's nuclear ambitions have made the region a powder keg. India's policy of 'no first use' and credible minimum deterrence seems like a saner middle path. 😕
I'm tired of these circular arguments. G7 says denuclearisation, North Korea says no, everyone sanctions, nothing changes. Meanwhile, millions of North Koreans starve while their leaders play nuclear roulette. The only way this ends is if China actually pressures them, but Beijing likes having a buffer state with nukes. India should be careful - North Korea sells missile tech to Pakistan. We need to support the G7's stance but also push for meaningful diplomatic engagement, not just chest-thumping.
The hypocrisy is staggering. The G7 nations collectively have over 12,000 nuclear warheads between them, but they're lecturing North Korea about denuclearisation? Yes, North Korea's behaviour is dangerous and destabilising, but let's call a spade a spade - nuclear weapons are the ultimate 'do as I say, not as I do' for the West. India, at least, has a consistent record of responsible nuclear stewardship. That said, Kim Yo-jong's threats about 'disaster' if anyone challenges them are deeply concerning.
This is exactly what happens when you push a paranoid regime into a corner. Instead of engaging North Korea diplomatically, the West keeps demanding unconditional surrender, and Pyongyang responds by doubling down. Look at how India managed the nuclear issue - we faced sanctions too, but we engaged with the world and eventually got the Indo-US
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