The influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has mocked Washington and its Asian allies for what she called their “daydream” of denuclearising the North. She insists the country will never give up its nuclear weapons programme.
The statement by Kim Yo Jong, one of the country’s top foreign policy officials, was in response to last week’s meeting of top diplomats from the US, South Korea and Japan, where they reiterated their willingness to push for North Korea’s denuclearisation.
Kim Yo Jong said, “The DPRK’s nuclear status, which is enshrined by the existence of a valid and powerful nuclear deterrent force, is permanently enshrined by the supreme and fundamental law of the state by the common will of the entire Korean people.”
Commenting on a recent joint statement by the foreign ministers of the US, Japan and South Korea at a NATO meeting, Kim Yo Jong called the denuclearisation idea a “daydream” reflecting the anxiety and political backwardness of its authors.
She said the DPRK’s nuclear status is enshrined in the constitution as a response to the ongoing external threat and fundamental changes in the global security system.
Kim Yo Jong stressed that the country does not intend to give up nuclear weapons under any pressure, calling such attempts a “hostile attack” on the foundations of the DPRK’s state structure.
According to Kim Yo Jong, the country’s nuclear forces not only guarantee its security but also contribute to maintaining stability in the region. She added that instead of pressure and provocations, the “West should focus on finding ways to prevent open conflict.”
Earlier, the DPRK Foreign Ministry criticised the Group of Seven (G7) countries, calling them a “nuclear grouping” and demanding that they give up nuclear weapons.
South Korean soldiers opened warning fire on Tuesday at North Korean military personnel who temporarily crossed the demarcation line at the 38th parallel.
