North Korea Insists It Is a 'Nuclear Weapon State' at UN... 'Irreversible'

[Anchor]

North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Kim Son-gyong stated during her UN General Assembly speech that North Korea is a nuclear-armed state and its status is irreversible. This is interpreted as an intention to reject denuclearization negotiations and normalize its status as a nuclear weapons state within the international community.

New York correspondent Kim Hyunwoo reports.

[Reporter]

North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Kim Son-gyong took the podium at the UN General Assembly for the second consecutive year.

Vice Minister Kim stated that the continued joint military exercises by South Korea, the United States, and Japan around the Korean Peninsula pose a serious military threat.

[Kim Son-gyong / North Korean Vice Foreign Minister : The adventurous military threat actions by the US, Japan, and South Korea are creating a level of security instability on the Korean Peninsula unlike previous years.]

Vice Minister Kim emphasized that North Korea needs a nuclear deterrent to protect its sovereignty and security from external threats and aggression, and that it is an absolute power.

[Kim Son-gyong / North Korean Vice Foreign Minister : I would like to reaffirm the official position of the government of the Republic that the DPRK's status as a nuclear-armed state cannot be reversed under any circumstances or by anything.]

She further stated that North Korea will firmly defend the country's sovereignty and interests and faithfully fulfill its mission as a nuclear weapons state.

This is interpreted as an indication that Pyongyang will not engage in negotiations based on denuclearization, while attempting to solidify its status as a nuclear-armed state in the international community.

In this year's UN speech, North Korea poured out high-intensity remarks particularly targeting Japan.

[Kim Son-gyong / North Korean Vice Foreign Minister : Japan, a top-tier war criminal state that inflicted indescribable suffering and disaster on humanity in the last century, is unprecedentedly accelerating its re-militarization maneuvers, bringing the dark clouds of war to the entire region.]

Amid rising tensions between the two Koreas due to a recent landmine explosion accident, Vice Minister Kim did not directly target South Korea.

Delegations from South Korea, the United States, and Japan watched today's (the 29th) speech, which lasted for about 18 minutes, and applause followed only from the North Korean delegation's side after the speech concluded.

(Camera: Lee Hee-hoon, Video Editing: Cho Mu-hwan)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.