North Korea "Firmly Rejects Denuclearization Claims... Strengthening Defense Capability Is a Right"

North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong-un [Image source=Yonhap News]

North Korea has reiterated its stance on continuously strengthening its nuclear forces.

Joo Yong-chul, Counsellor of the North Korean Mission in Geneva, stated on the 17th (local time) at the United Nations Disarmament Conference held in the E Building of the UN Geneva Office, "We cannot accept the denuclearization demands and firmly reject them."

When the European Union (EU), Japan, and others argued at the disarmament conference that CVID (Complete, Verifiable, and Irreversible Denuclearization) should be applied, Counsellor Joo exercised his right to respond and made this statement.

He emphasized, "Strengthening defense capabilities is a sovereign right of each individual country, which no one can deny or criticize. We will make no compromises in defending our sovereignty and will continue to develop our war deterrence."

In particular, referring to the South Korea-U.S. joint military exercises, he pointed out, "The United States conducts large-scale joint military exercises with its allies and frequently deploys strategic assets inside and outside the Korean Peninsula. In response to military actions that seriously infringe upon our security interests, there is no choice but to further strengthen our defense capabilities."

Regarding the EU, he said, "If you sincerely worry about the deterioration of the situation on the Korean Peninsula, you should stop siding with hostile forces against North Korea. Such siding is like pouring oil on the fire."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.