N Korea calls denuclearisation an "irreversibly finalised" matter, rejects US-allied calls to disarm
Seoul, June 14
North Korea on Sunday declared that denuclearisation is an "irreversibly finalised" matter, criticising the recent South Korea-US and US-Japan discussions that reaffirmed the goal of eliminating Pyongyang's nuclear weapons program, as reported by the Yonhap News Agency.
An unnamed spokesperson for North Korea's foreign ministry issued the criticism after South Korea and the United States reiterated their shared objective of North Korea's denuclearisation during a bilateral Nuclear Consultative Group meeting on Thursday.
"It is an unreasonable talk and fantastic daydream to mention about disarming the other belligerent party's nuclear weapons," the spokesperson said in a statement carried by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
As per Yonhap, the spokesperson further asserted that North Korea's status as a nuclear-armed state cannot be altered by external pressure.
"The US and its vassal forces' meaningless rhetoric against the DPRK and cooperation in posing a nuclear threat to it can never affect the irreversible position of the DPRK as a nuclear weapons state," the spokesperson said. "The 'denuclearisation' is an irreversibly finalised matter."
DPRK here refers to North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
The statement also criticised the recent US-Japan 'Extended Deterrence Dialogue', during which Washington and Tokyo reaffirmed their commitment to the "complete denuclearisation" of North Korea.
No matter how hard the U.S., Japan and the ROK may quibble, they will never change the present position of the DPRK as a nuclear weapons state," the spokesperson said as reported by Yonhap, using the acronym of South Korea's official name -- the Republic of Korea.
Earlier on June 8, North Korea and China vowed commitment to further spearheading their ties as the two countries marked 65 years of their treaty of friendship and eyed expanding cooperation across the sectors of economy, infrastructure, and deepening military and diplomatic ties, China Daily reported.
China Daily further noted that Xi Jinping reaffirmed the commitment to strengthening ties with North Korea during his two-day visit to Pyongyang, his first trip to the country in seven years.
During talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Xi expressed readiness to work closely with Pyongyang to strengthen top-level strategic coordination and deepen bilateral relations in what he described as a "new era" of ties between the two nations.
Xi said China remains committed to preserving the traditional friendship between the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), regardless of changes in the international landscape.
— ANI
Reader Comments
As an Indian, I find this interesting. North Korea is like a stubborn child who refuses to listen. But the US and its allies need to understand that threats won't work. Look at how India handled its nuclear program - we faced sanctions but stood our ground. Maybe there's a lesson here for both sides.
The whole situation is absurd. North Korea starves its own people while spending billions on nukes. And the US keeps pretending sanctions will work. It's like watching a broken record. Both sides need to get real and find a middle ground before something catastrophic happens.
China's role here is crucial. Xi's visit to Pyongyang shows Beijing's strategy - keep North Korea as a buffer state against US influence in Asia. India would be wise to strengthen ties with Japan and South Korea to counterbalance this. The world is becoming more multipolar by the day. 🌏
I'm sorry but isn't this just North Korea's standard rhetoric? They say this every few months and then come back to talks when they need aid. The real story here is China's growing influence in the region. India needs to step up its diplomatic game in East Asia.
The US should focus on its own problems instead of dictating terms to others. North Korea has every right to defend itself. India was also forced to go nuclear because of security threats. Hypocrisy of Western powers is astonishing. 🙄
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.