The North Korean Foreign Ministry has announced that the country will continue to strengthen its nuclear deterrent, following a recent joint statement by the US, South Korea and Japan calling for the denuclearization of North Korea. According to the statement, the “adventurous and foolish actions of the US, Japan and South Korea have created a collective confrontation and conflicts on the Korean Peninsula and in the region.”
The statement, released by the state-run news agency KCNA, cited the country’s constitution as justifying the development of nuclear weapons as a means of self-defense and protection of its sovereignty.
Earlier, on February 15, the South Korean Foreign Minister, US Secretary of State and Japanese Foreign Minister had issued a joint statement at the Munich Security Conference, reaffirming their commitment to achieving the complete denuclearization of North Korea.
Seoul has urged Pyongyang to halt its illegal nuclear programs and return to the denuclearization process. “North Korea will never be recognized as a nuclear power” said a spokesperson for the South Korean Foreign Ministry, adding that the development of nuclear weapons and missiles only hinders the country’s security and economic development.
The trilateral meeting was the first since the inauguration of Donald Trump in 2021, during which he had engaged in diplomatic efforts and held three personal meetings with Kim in Singapore, Hanoi and at the Korean border.
North Korea had conducted a series of military tests in early January, which Seoul’s defense authorities attributed to Pyongyang’s intention to demonstrate its deterrent capabilities against the US and draw attention from Trump.
Separately, the South Korean military announced the deployment of a new tactical ballistic missile, the Korean Tactical Surface to Surface Missile (KTSSM), which is capable of precision strikes on North Korea’s long-range artillery in the event of an emergency.