Kim Yo-jong Reiterates Claim of Nuclear Power Status in Unusual Statement
Amid controversy over North Korea's denuclearization, Kim Yo-jong once again made it clear that its status as a nuclear-armed state cannot be reversed. Read quickly to grasp North Korea's external messaging and the variables in North Korea–U.S. negotiations.
Kim Yojong, Director of the Organization Department of the Workers' Party of Korea, once again emphasized that North Korea's status as a nucleararmed state is irreversible after voices calling for North Korea's denuclearization were raised at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) General Conference.
In a statement carried by the Korean Central News Agency, Kim strongly criticized denuclearization demands from the European Union, France, Japan, and others, saying that North Korea's nuclear status has been fixed in reality and under law. This response is considered unusual because it was at a higher level than previous cases, when North Korea typically responded in the name of another organization.
Experts interpreted this as North Korea repeatedly sending a message that it wants to exclude denuclearization from the negotiating agenda, amid recent talk of the possibility of North KoreaU.S. talks. North Korea also protested the previous day's launch of the South KoreaU.S. Weapons of Mass Destruction Response Committee, and officials see this as a move to make its external position clearer.