North Korea: "Status as a Nuclear-Armed State Is Irreversible... Will Thoroughly Reject Any Attempt to Alter It"

North Korean Mission in Austria Issues Public Statement

On September 15, North Korea asserted, "The status of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea as a nuclear-armed state has become irreversible," adding, "We will thoroughly oppose and reject any attempt to alter the current status of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in the future."

The North Korean mission in Austria stated in a public announcement released the previous day, "The United States has once again committed a grave political provocation by labeling our possession of nuclear weapons as illegal and raising the issue of denuclearization at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors meeting."

Yonhap News Agency

North Korea declared, "We strongly condemn and reject the provocative actions of the United States, which has once again revealed its unwavering hostile intent toward North Korea by blatantly interfering in our internal affairs and infringing on our sovereignty. By reiterating its outdated denuclearization demands at an international forum, the United States has made it clear that its North Korea policy ultimately aims for us to abandon our constitution and system, and that it has no intention of coexisting with us."

North Korea continued, "Our possession of nuclear weapons is an inevitable choice to reliably safeguard the sovereignty and security of the nation from the ongoing nuclear threats posed by the United States, and to maintain the balance of power. It plays a crucial and significant role in ensuring world peace and stability. In stark contrast, the United States' hegemonic actions-its radical nuclear arms buildup and reckless nuclear proliferation-are the gravest threats facing the international community, as they endanger global peace and security and undermine the foundations of the international nuclear non-proliferation regime."

Furthermore, North Korea argued, "The International Atomic Energy Agency, which has not maintained official relations with us for over 30 years and exists outside the framework of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, has neither the legal authority nor the moral justification to interfere in the internal affairs of nuclear-armed states. If the International Atomic Energy Agency is genuinely concerned about global nuclear threats and the increasingly unstable international security environment, it would be logical to address the malign actions of the United States first."

North Korea also stated, "Given the ever-intensifying U.S. nuclear threats and the increasingly active U.S.-led nuclear alliance confrontations, continuously strengthening our self-defensive nuclear deterrence is the best option to reliably prevent the outbreak of nuclear war on the Korean Peninsula and in the region, and to safeguard our nation's right to survival and development. As a responsible nuclear-armed state, we will faithfully fulfill our obligations to the international community."

Previously, the United States had stated at the IAEA Board of Governors meeting that "the United States remains committed to the complete denuclearization of North Korea." North Korea's move to declare its nuclear status as an established and "irreversible" fact in response to this U.S. position is seen as an indication that it intends to exclude the denuclearization issue from any future North Korea-U.S. dialogue.

Im Eulchul, a professor at the Institute for Far Eastern Studies at Kyungnam University, commented, "In the past, North Korea left some ambiguity regarding denuclearization negotiations, but now it has completely ruled out denuclearization, permanently declaring its nuclear status on constitutional grounds and blocking the possibility of negotiations. This is a much more resolute message than before, signaling a firm refusal to even discuss denuclearization with the United States."

Professor Im added, "Previously, North Korea emphasized its nuclear weapons as a means of self-defense, but now it is stressing its status as a responsible nuclear-armed state. This strategy appears to be an effort to strengthen cooperation with Russia and China and to emulate the internationally recognized status of nuclear-armed states outside the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), such as India and Pakistan."