North Korea Pushes Back Against Joint Statement by South Korea, US, and Japan Calling for "Complete Denuclearization"

Choe Son Hui Calls It an "Impossible Delusion"

North Korea has reiterated its commitment to maintaining its nuclear arsenal, pushing back against the joint statement by the foreign ministers of South Korea, the United States, and Japan, which reaffirmed their determination for the "complete denuclearization of North Korea".


North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui held talks with Wang Yi, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister, at the Kumsusan Guesthouse on the 9th, according to KCTV on the 10th. Yonhap News

North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui held talks with Wang Yi, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister, at the Kumsusan Guesthouse on the 9th, according to KCTV on the 10th. Yonhap News

View original image

On September 24, North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui issued a statement titled "The Nuclear-Armed Status of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea Is Eternal," in which, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), she declared, "Under no circumstances—and through no means—can our country's steadfast and unwavering will to possess nuclear weapons ever be reversed. It will remain absolutely unchanged for a hundred years, a thousand years." She reaffirmed this position in the strongest terms.


Choe sharply criticized the joint statement, stating, "The United States, Japan, and South Korea have once again revealed their atavistic confrontational stance toward the Democratic People's Republic of Korea by insisting on the unrealistic goal of 'denuclearization', demonstrating their unwavering hostility."


She continued, "This confirms once again that, regardless of how the United States and its allied forces rephrase or repackage their words, they have not abandoned—and cannot abandon—their impossible delusion of 'denuclearization.'"


Previously, on September 21 (local time), the foreign ministers of South Korea, the United States, and Japan released a joint statement reaffirming their commitment to the complete denuclearization of North Korea and urging the country to return to dialogue.


Choe Son Hui further asserted, "The policy of using force against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea has failed, and no country or entity can ever force us to retreat from defending our national sovereignty and core interests. Coexistence of confrontation and dialogue may work for others, but for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, it is absolutely out of the question."


She went on to say, "Our assessment and position are firm: Nuclear weapons are a core component of our national sovereignty and the ultimate guarantee for the defense of our state. The more the United States and its allies vociferously champion 'denuclearization,' the more they provide justification for our legitimate possession of nuclear weapons and the need to strengthen them, further reinforcing our hardline position toward the United States."



She also argued, "Denying reality is tantamount to abandoning the future. Regardless of the rhetoric of hostile forces, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's status as a nuclear-armed state will eternally remain an inviolable reality. The realignment and entrenchment of the geopolitical order around a nuclear-armed Democratic People's Republic of Korea is inevitable."


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

© The Asia Business Daily. All rights reserved. Unauthorized AI training and use prohibited.

Today’s Briefing