North Korea has said that its nuclear arsenal is not subject to bargaining or diplomatic agreements, but is intended solely for military use against enemies that threaten the country’s sovereignty and global security. This was reported on Saturday by the state news agency KCNA, Reuters reports.
Pyongyang made this statement after US President Donald Trump met with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba in Washington. The leaders of the United States and Japan reaffirmed their intention to achieve a complete curtailment of the DPRK’s nuclear programme.
Despite this, the KCNA statement did not mention the meeting between Trump and Isiba. Instead, North Korea referred to the position of NATO and the EU, which reiterated their call for the complete denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula.
“Once again, we state clearly that our nuclear weapons are not an advertisement to gain recognition, and certainly not a bargaining chip for financial concessions,” the DPRK communiqué said.
“Our nuclear forces are designed for uncompromising use in combat to immediately destroy any attempt by hostile forces to encroach on our country’s sovereignty, the security of our people and global stability,” the document says.
North Korea ignores Trump’s offer to resume talks
The DPRK did not directly respond to Donald Trump’s proposal to resume contacts with Kim Jong-un, but at the same time announced that it was strengthening its nuclear capabilities.
The day before, Trump said he was planning contacts with North Korea and personally with Kim Jong-un, stressing that they had a “good relationship”. During Trump’s first presidential term, he had three historic meetings with the DPRK leader, which, however, did not lead to any real progress in denuclearisation.
On 20 January, during his inauguration for the second term, Trump called the DPRK a “nuclear power”, which raised concerns about his future policy. It is unclear whether he will continue negotiations on North Korea’s complete nuclear disarmament or limit himself to controlling its arsenal.
The joint statement after the meeting between Trump and Ishiba reads: “The two leaders expressed grave concern and the urgent need to address the DPRK’s nuclear and missile issue. They reaffirmed their strong commitment to North Korea’s complete denuclearisation”.
