Kim Jong Un's Sister Lashes Out at G7, Insists North Korea's Nuclear Weapons Are Non-Negotiable

North Korea has once again affirmed its stance that it will not relinquish its nuclear weapons. The statement was delivered by Kim Yo-jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, who is also known as one of the most influential figures in Pyongyang’s power circle. Kim Yo-jong condemned the Group of Seven (G7) nations’ renewed calls for North Korea to pursue full denuclearisation. According to her, the nuclear weapons programme is a core state interest that is non-negotiable. “Nuclear weapons are a powerful means of defending sovereignty and a foundation for ensuring peace, as defined by DPRK law,” Kim Yo-jong said in a statement broadcast by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Thursday (18/6/2026). She stressed that North Korea’s nuclear armament is a “means of self-defence.” The statement was a direct response to the G7 leaders’ joint communiqué at their summit in Evian-les-Bains, France, which reaffirmed their commitment to the complete denuclearisation of North Korea in accordance with United Nations (UN) Security Council resolutions. Kim assessed that the demands continuously voiced by the United States and its allies are no longer relevant to current conditions. She described the denuclearisation calls as an agenda that is “already final and irreversible” and will never become a reality. According to Kim, North Korea’s status as a nuclear-armed state has been legally established and constitutes a red line that cannot be violated. She even warned parties attempting to pressure Pyongyang regarding its nuclear programme. “Anyone who tries to harm the core interests of a nuclear-armed state will make the worst choice by inviting disaster,” she said. This latest statement once again demonstrates Pyongyang’s hardline attitude towards international pressure. Despite the global community’s continued push for the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula, North Korea has instead increasingly asserted that nuclear weapons are part of its defence strategy and a guarantee of national security that will not be abandoned.