North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui: "Will to Possess Nuclear Weapons Will Never Change Even in 100 or 1,000 Years"

North Korea has reiterated its determination to possess nuclear weapons, pushing back against a joint statement by the foreign ministers of South Korea, the United States, and Japan that reaffirmed their commitment to the "complete denuclearization of North Korea."

According to the Korean Central News Agency, North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui said on Thursday in a statement titled "The Democratic People's Republic of Korea's Will to Possess Nuclear Weapons Is Eternal," "We reaffirm and reconfirm in the most resolute tone our state's steadfast will to possess nuclear weapons, which cannot be reversed under any circumstances or by anything, and will remain completely unchanged even after 100 or 1,000 years."

Regarding the trilateral joint statement, Choe criticized, "The anachronistic, confrontational nature of the three countries—the United States, Japan, and South Korea—seeking to remain consistently hostile toward the Democratic People's Republic of Korea with the unrealistic goal of 'denuclearization,' has once again been fully revealed."

She continued, "This once again confirmed that no matter how much the United States and its allied forces alter their expressions and change their packaging, they have not abandoned, and cannot abandon, the unfeasible delusion of 'denuclearization.'"

Choe dismissed, "The policy of force against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea has failed, and no country or force can compel us to back down in defending our national sovereignty and core interests," adding, "The coexistence of confrontation and dialogue may work with others, but for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, it can never be an option under consideration."

She added, "Our assessment and position remain firm that nuclear weapons are a core component of state sovereignty that no one can violate, and the ultimate guarantee for safeguarding our national sovereignty. The more the United States and its allies chant 'denuclearization,' the more it merely provides justification and the pretext needed for our state's rightful nuclear possession and its strengthening, while only further hardening our confrontational posture against the United States."

She also claimed, "Denying reality means giving up the future," asserting, "Regardless of the hostile forces' rhetorical claims, the fact remains unchanged that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's status as a nuclear-armed state will permanently exist as an absolutely inviolable entity, and the realignment and cementing of the geopolitical structure centered on the nuclear-armed Democratic People's Republic of Korea is inevitable."

Earlier, on September 21, the foreign ministers of South Korea, the United States, and Japan issued a joint statement reaffirming their commitment to the complete denuclearization of North Korea and calling for Pyongyang to return to dialogue.

(Photo: Korean Central Television screenshot, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.