AFP, SEOUL
North Korea’s nuclear weapons program is “absolutely non-negotiable,” the powerful sister of leader Kim Jong-un said in a statement carried by state media yesterday ahead of a visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平). Pyongyang has long insisted on its right to a nuclear weapon and ballistic missile programs, although they are forbidden under the terms of UN Security Council sanctions. It enshrined its nuclear status in its constitution in 2023. “Our status as a nuclear power is absolutely non-negotiable,” Kim’s sister, Kim Yo-jong, said in a statement published by North Korea’s official Rodong Sinmun, adding that the North “will not tolerate any threats.”
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, front, right, hugs a child as he attends the 80th anniversary celebration of the founding of the Korean Children’s Union at Kim Il-sung Stadium in Pyongyang on Saturday in a photo released yesterday.
The statement by Kim Yo-jong, a key player in the country’s communications and foreign policy, came on the eve of Xi’s visit to North Korea today and tomorrow, North Korean state media said. Beijing is a vital source of political and economic support to North Korea, which is one of the most diplomatically isolated countries in the world and under heavy international sanctions.
