Seoul:North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui has criticized the recent joint call by major countries for the denuclearization of North Korea, maintaining that the country's commitment to its nuclear arsenal is unwavering.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Choe's comments were made in a commentary published by state media following the Group of Seven (G7) foreign ministers' meeting in Paris, where they issued a statement condemning North Korea's nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs. The G7's statement emphasized the importance of complete denuclearization of North Korea in line with U.N. Security Council resolutions, which prohibit Pyongyang from developing such weapons.
Choe strongly rejected the G7's criticism, asserting the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's (DPRK) constitutional right to possess nuclear weapons and describing their nuclear arsenal as a crucial safeguard for national sovereignty. She accused the United States and its allies of double standards, highlighting that some G7 members possess nuclear weapons themselves.
The North Korean Foreign Minister reiterated that the pursuit of denuclearization is unfeasible, both theoretically and practically, and argued that G7 nations have no right to critique North Korea's nuclear stance. She further stated that North Korea's existing nuclear capabilities signify a strategic failure on the part of the G7 and warned that any denial of North Korea's nuclear status would be seen as confrontational hostility against the DPRK.