North Korea Rejects IAEA Denuclearisation Calls, Kim Yo-jong: Nuclear Status is Permanent

North Korea has firmly condemned discussions regarding denuclearisation that emerged during the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) General Conference. Pyongyang stated that its position as a nuclear-armed state is absolute and non-negotiable.

This harsh statement was delivered by Kim Yo-jong, the sister of North Korean supreme leader Kim Jong-un and a key figure within the country’s leadership structure. According to government media reports on Thursday (17/09/2026), Kim responded to the denuclearisation agenda discussed at the 70th IAEA General Conference in Vienna, Austria.

Kim Yo-jong referred to the international community’s calls for North Korea to abandon its nuclear programme as “absurd chatter” that they have heard frequently. She emphasised that diplomatic pressure would not alter the direction of the nation’s defence policy.

“The position of the DPRK (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea) as a nuclear-armed state is absolute and cannot be changed by anything,” Kim asserted, as reported by the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

Previously, during the general conference, the IAEA expressed deep concern over the rapid development of North Korea’s nuclear capacity. The international forum urged Pyongyang to achieve the complete, verifiable, and irreversible dismantlement of its nuclear weapons programme (CVID), in accordance with the provisions of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).

However, Kim Yo-jong dismissed these demands. She assessed the denuclearisation discussions by the IAEA and Western nations as an old scenario that holds no impact on Pyongyang’s sovereignty.

“No matter how persistently the IAEA and the West hold periodic meetings and discuss denuclearisation based on established scenarios, it will have no impact on the determination and ability of the DPRK to take all necessary steps to defend the highest interests of the state,” she explained.

Furthermore, Kim Yo-jong emphasised that North Korea’s nuclear policy has now become a permanent part of both military practice and the state’s legal framework. She warned that Pyongyang’s current nuclear strength has reached a point that cannot be reversed by any party.

“The reality that the DPRK’s nuclear position has been established permanently, both physically and legally, cannot change in the slightest,” she stated. She added that no power would be able to prevent the future development of North Korea’s nuclear capabilities.

This statement further reinforces the diplomatic deadlock between Pyongyang and the international community. To date, the IAEA and nations supporting denuclearisation continue to view North Korea’s nuclear activities as a primary security threat in the Korean Peninsula region.