North Korea Rejects Denuclearisation Calls from ASEAN Forum
Istanbul (ANTARA) - North Korea on Monday once again rejected the ASEAN Regional Forum’s (ARF) call for the complete denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula, describing it as a “foolish attempt.”
Pyongyang also affirmed that its status as a nuclear-armed state is “final and irreversible.”
In a statement carried by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Kim Yo Jong condemned the chairman’s statement issued following the recent ARF foreign ministers’ meeting in the Philippines.
Kim, a senior official of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea and sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, accused the forum of adopting a “hostile stance.”
She said the forum backed the United States’ position on denuclearisation while ignoring North Korea’s constitution, which designates the country as a nuclear-armed state.
“The actions of the United States and its ‘subordinate states’ to change the status of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea as a nuclear-armed state … are nothing more than a foolish attempt,” Kim was quoted by KCNA as saying.
Kim stated that the concept of “denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula” has lost its meaning, both practically and conceptually.
She described the repeated calls for denuclearisation as a “foolish and nonsensical wild dream.”
Kim said the forum should instead fulfil its role in promoting peace and security in the region.
She affirmed that the nuclear deterrent capability remains the “primary shield” for protecting national sovereignty.
Kim also pledged that North Korea would continue to strengthen its nuclear capability “without experiencing any stagnation whatsoever.”
Meanwhile, in the ARF chairman’s statement, the ASEAN Regional Forum reaffirmed its support for the complete denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula.
The forum also expressed concern over North Korea’s continued development of nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes.
The ASEAN Regional Forum currently comprises 28 members, including the 11 nations of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as well as various partners from the Asia-Pacific region and beyond, with the United Kingdom as the newest member.
Other members are the United States, Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, China, India, Japan, Mongolia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea), the Republic of Korea (South Korea), Russia, the European Union, and Sri Lanka.