North Korea asserts nuclear status remains unchanged

Tokyo (ANTARA) - North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Kim Son Gyong stated on Monday (28/9) that his country’s status as a nuclear weapons holder is “permanently fixed” and “can never be changed,” reaffirming the nation’s rejection of denuclearisation calls.

In his speech at the UN General Assembly in New York, Kim criticised the United States and its two main Asian allies, Japan and South Korea, for creating “extreme instability and further exacerbating tensions” on the Korean Peninsula due to their “continuous hostile attitude” towards Pyongyang.

Kim condemned Japan, claiming it poses a “serious threat” to global peace, noting that the country is developing long-range weapons capable of attacking neighbouring nations under the pretext of “counter-strike capabilities.”

The Vice Foreign Minister affirmed North Korea’s nuclear capabilities, claiming that its “war deterrent” is sufficiently strong to prevent any war of aggression against the nation.

According to him, the country is “fully containing and controlling the efforts of hostile forces to use violence.”

Kim’s speech on Monday marked his second consecutive appearance at the UN General Assembly. His first visit last year was the first time in seven years that a senior official from the North Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, other than their UN ambassador, attended the annual debate.