The United States, South Korea and Japan’s foreign ministers have urged North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons program during a meeting on the sidelines of the recent NATO summit in Brussels. The call was directed at the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). However, the DPRK has responded with a strong rejection of the call for denuclearization. The DPRK’s Vice-Leader of the Department of Agitation and Propaganda in the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea, Kim Yo-jong, accused the United States, South Korea and Japan of attacking the sovereignty and constitutional order of the DPRK. Kim Yo-jong called for the denuclearization to be an unfulfillable dream, which only demonstrates the extent of concern and the “backwardness of political views” in the United States, South Korea and Japan. The high-ranking official pointed to external threats and the fact that the nuclear status of the DPRK is enshrined in the country’s constitution. “We do not care about anyone’s dislike or recognition. We will not change our stance. This is our choice, which cannot be changed by force or trickery” Kim Yo-jong said. The DPRK’s foreign policy is to reject the calls for denuclearization, which denies the sovereignty of the DPRK and aims to force the country to abandon its social model. “For the United States, Japan and the Republic of Korea, the only possible option to get rid of their concerns in the security field is to abandon their unilateral attempts to disrupt the status quo and weaken the position of the DPRK” Kim Yo-jong said. The DPRK’s nuclear forces, she added, prevent aggression from abroad and contribute to regional and global security. She called on the governments in Washington, Seoul and Tokyo to find a way to prevent a direct conflict.
The West Wants a Nuclear-Free Peninsula, But North Korea Won’t Give Up Its Power
