Kim Yo Jong Condemns ASEAN Call for Denuclearization

Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, condemned the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on July 27 for advocating for the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula. In a statement published by the state news outlet KCNA, she described the position as a "stupid and foolish wild dream" and a "failure in strategic thinking and logic."

Kim Yo Jong accused the intergovernmental bloc of ignoring North Korea's constitution, which enshrined the state's nuclear status in 2023. She further warned ASEAN against acting as a "hired mouthpiece for the US."

The North Korean official's attack follows an ASEAN regional forum held the previous week. During that meeting, the organization expressed "grave concern" regarding Pyongyang's nuclear weapons development and emphasized the necessity of dialogue to establish lasting peace. North Korea continues to maintain that its nuclear weapons programme is "the line of no retreat" and remains an irreversible state priority despite ongoing UN Security Council sanctions.