North Korea has reiterated its commitment to its nuclear program, saying it will continue modernizing its nuclear capabilities "without a single moment of pause," rejecting calls by Southeast Asian nations to abandon its nuclear arsenal.
The statement was carried by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) and attributed to Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. She criticized the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) for what she described as hostility toward a "responsible nuclear state."
"Our position is firm and clear: nuclear deterrence is the ultimate shield for national sovereignty and the highest guarantee for defending our sovereignty," Kim said.
She added that North Korea's status as a responsible nuclear-armed state, maintaining the balance of power and ensuring geopolitical security on and around the Korean Peninsula, is "final and irreversible."
Kim has made similar remarks before. In June, she described North Korea's status as a nuclear weapons state as "absolutely irreversible" and pledged that Pyongyang would not tolerate any threats against it.
Her comments came after the ASEAN Regional Forum, meeting in Manila, issued a statement calling for renewed international efforts to achieve the complete and peaceful denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, according to South Korea's Yonhap News Agency.
The ASEAN Regional Forum is the only multilateral security platform that includes both North and South Korea. However, Pyongyang chose to skip the meeting for the second consecutive year.
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