North Korea Rejects ASEAN Forum's Call for Denuclearization

Alsharq Tribune-Al Otaify 

North Korea denounced the ASEAN Forum's call for denuclearization, asserting that Pyongyang's nuclear arsenal would be updated without a pause.

This came in statements by Kim Yo-jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, published by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

Kim criticized a joint statement issued on Saturday following the annual meeting of ASEAN foreign ministers in Manila, in which they reaffirmed their commitment to the complete denuclearization of North Korea.

The ASEAN statement called for international efforts to achieve the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula through peaceful means, according to South Korea's Yonhap News Agency.

In turn, Kim said, "Our position is firm and clear: nuclear deterrence is the ultimate shield of national sovereignty and the best guarantee for safeguarding national sovereignty. Regardless of what others say, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s status and significance as a responsible nuclear-armed state—ensuring a balance of power on the Korean Peninsula and beyond and guaranteeing geopolitical safety—are final and irreversible. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s nuclear capabilities will continue to be updated without pause."

The ASEAN Regional Forum is the only multilateral security forum that includes both Koreas. However, Pyongyang was absent from the meeting for the second consecutive year, amid what many believe is its continued focus on strengthening ties with Russia and China.

Kim Yo-jong made similar remarks last June, describing North Korea's status as a nuclear state as absolutely irreversible, vowing that Pyongyang would not tolerate any threats against it.