Key facts
- North Korea declared denuclearization irreversibly finalized.
- North Korea criticized recent U.S.-South Korea talks that reaffirmed denuclearization.
- A North Korean foreign ministry spokesperson stated rhetoric against DPRK's nuclear status will not change its position.
- Kim Yo Jong stated North Korea's nuclear program is absolutely nonnegotiable.
- Kim Yo Jong stated North Korea will continue to expand its arsenal.
- Kim Yo Jong dismissed U.S. denuclearization efforts as an anachronistic dream.
- These declarations precede Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit.
- The UN's political chief urged de-escalation on the Korean Peninsula.
- The UN political chief's visit to North Korea concluded on Saturday.
- The UN political chief's visit to North Korea lasted four days.
North Korea has declared that denuclearization is an "irreversibly finalized" matter, directly challenging recent discussions between the U.S. and South Korea that reaffirmed the objective of denuclearization. A spokesperson for North Korea's foreign ministry stated that any discourse questioning the DPRK's nuclear weapons status will not sway its established position. This declaration was echoed by Kim Yo Jong, who asserted that North Korea's nuclear program is "absolutely nonnegotiable" and that the nation will continue to enhance its arsenal. She characterized U.S. denuclearization efforts as an "anachronistic dream."