North Korea says its nuclear weapons are essential to national security as Washington seeks renewed engagement with Pyongyang.
SEOUL: North Korea has rejected repeated US calls for denuclearisation, accusing Washington of maintaining a hostile policy and reaffirming its determination to strengthen its nuclear capabilities.
In a statement carried Monday by the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), a North Korean Foreign Ministry spokesperson said there had been no meaningful change in Washington’s approach toward Pyongyang.
The official criticised the United States for continuing to demand the “complete denuclearisation” of North Korea, while also raising concerns over the country’s human rights record and maintaining military cooperation with South Korea and Japan.
According to the spokesperson, the US position reflected what Pyongyang described as an ongoing effort to undermine North Korea’s sovereignty, political system and security interests.
The official defended North Korea’s nuclear arsenal as essential to national security, saying the country’s nuclear weapons served as an “absolute guarantee” for protecting its sovereignty. The statement indicated that Pyongyang would not abandon its nuclear status in response to US denuclearisation demands.
North Korea also warned that expectations for reduced tensions on the Korean Peninsula were unrealistic under the current circumstances.
The statement followed US President Donald Trump’s decision to significantly reduce the annual Ulchi Freedom Shield military exercises involving the United States and South Korea.
Trump cited his relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un when explaining the decision. He also said the exercises were costly and could be viewed by Pyongyang as an unnecessarily hostile gesture.
Trump has expressed interest in holding another summit with Kim. The two leaders met three times between 2018 and 2019, but their negotiations failed to produce a lasting agreement on North Korea’s nuclear program.
Despite the reduction in the scale of the exercises, Kim Yo Jong, the North Korean leader’s sister and a senior political figure, criticised the drills earlier this month. She described the exercises as provocative and aggressive despite changes to their duration and scale.
Meanwhile, the United States, South Korea and Japan are scheduled to conduct the Freedom Edge exercise from Sept. 7 to 11. The trilateral military activity is intended to improve coordination in responding to potential nuclear and missile threats.
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