Pyongyang: Kim Yo-jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, has dismissed a recent resolution by the United Nations' nuclear watchdog, vowing to uphold the credibility of North Korea's nuclear capabilities against perceived nuclear threats from the United States and other nations.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) adopted the resolution at its 70th General Conference in Vienna, reaffirming that North Korea cannot be recognized as a nuclear-weapons state under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and urging Pyongyang to immediately halt all related activities. In a statement carried by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Kim criticized the IAEA for its resolution and accused it of ignoring the ongoing nuclear threats that North Korea faces.
Kim Yo-jong reiterated that North Korea's status as a nuclear weapons state is "absolute" and irreversible. She criticized the IAEA for overlooking the United States' nuclear activities, including its deployment and sharing of nuclear weapons in Europe, as well as its extended deterrence arrangements with South Korea and Japan, and plans to provide nuclear submarine technology to South Korea.
Kim accused the IAEA of extreme double standards and bias, asserting that it serves U.S. interests and lacks authority over North Korea's nuclear activities. She argued that the current geopolitical climate necessitates North Korea to make more responsible choices, emphasizing the importance of maintaining the credibility of its nuclear force for national security.
North Korea's foreign ministry echoed Kim's sentiments, dismissing the resolution as concocted by hostile forces. A ministry spokesperson, in a statement via KCNA, declared that the DPRK's nuclear weapons status is guaranteed by its actual nuclear deterrent and is fixed permanently by the state's supreme law. The spokesperson affirmed North Korea's commitment to defending its sovereignty and ensuring peace and security through overwhelming force.