Chinese President Xi Jinping (L) and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un chatting during an artistic performance to welcome the Chinese leader in Pyongyang, North Korea, 08 June 2026. Photo by KCNA / EPA
June 14 (Asia Today) -- North Korea has rejected renewed international calls for its denuclearization, declaring that its status as a nuclear-armed state will not change despite criticism from South Korea, the United States, Japan and European countries.
North Korean state media published two Foreign Ministry statements over the weekend in response to recent international declarations supporting the denuclearization of North Korea.
A ministry spokesperson said in a statement released Saturday that criticism and nuclear deterrence cooperation by the United States and its allies could not affect North Korea's self-declared status as a nuclear weapons state.
"Denuclearization is an issue that has been finally and irreversibly concluded," the spokesperson said.
