North Korea Declares Nuclear Status Irreversible at UN Assembly

Vice Foreign Minister Kim Son Gyong declared during an address to the United Nations General Assembly in New York that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's status as a nuclear weapons state is permanently fixed and cannot be reversed in any circumstances. He characterized the nuclear deterrent as an "irresistible force" necessary to safeguard national sovereignty against external aggression. This declaration follows a joint commitment to complete denuclearization issued a week prior by the foreign ministers of the United States, South Korea, and Japan.

Kim criticized the security alignment between the United States, Japan, and South Korea, describing it as a provocative military bloc that creates instability on the Korean Peninsula. He specifically denounced U.S. support for South Korea's pursuit of nuclear-powered submarines and the deployment of advanced missiles and drones in the region. Beyond security, Kim called for the reform and democratization of the United Nations to reduce the influence of a small number of states.

Following the speech, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea issued a memorandum accusing the United States of driving the global nuclear order into a crisis. The memorandum claimed Washington has "irresponsibly abandoned its disarmament obligations as a nuclear-weapon state" through nuclear modernization and partnerships like AUKUS. This diplomatic offensive occurred shortly after the Democratic People's Republic of Korea launched two short-range ballistic missiles.