The condemnation comes in response to a statement by G7 leaders in which they reaffirmed commitment to the “complete denuclearization of North Korea”
Kim Yo-jong, the sister of Kim Jong-un and a high-ranking member of the Workers’ Party of Korea. (KCNA/Yonhap)
Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, rebuked a joint statement by leaders of the Group of Seven nations calling for North Korea’s denuclearization, slamming those who “[try] to hurt the core interests of a nuclear weapons state” as “inviting disaster.” “I express strong dissatisfaction and regret at the excess of authority of G7, a direct violation of the constitution of our state, and resolutely denounce and reject it in the most explicit tone,” Kim declared in a statement published by the state-run Korean Central News Agency. “The DPRK’s access to nuclear weapons is its core interests to be preserved without fail and ‘denuclearization’ is the line of no retreat that can never be crossed,” she said. Following a summit, the G7 leaders issued a statement Wednesday (local time) in which they declared their “deep concern about North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs,” and reaffirmed their “commitment to the complete denuclearization of North Korea in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions.” In response to this, Kim said that the G7 was “the chief culprit of destroying global peace and security and the international nuclear non-proliferation system,” and that it “has neither [the] qualifications to discuss the sovereign option of the DPRK nor [the] right to deny it.” She lambasted the West for what she called a “completely out of date” demand for denuclearization, saying that such demands would continue to be irrelevant even if “the voice of accusation of any group goes louder.” “The DPRK got access to nuclear weapons to defend itself as it has constantly and persistently been the target of nuclear threat[s] from its enemies and, therefore, the DPRK’s nukes will lead to concern of no one but the enemies who are trying to harm the DPRK. And the illogic[al] nature of the assertion about our ‘nuclear threat’ should be considered focused on this,” she noted.Kim called nuclear weapons a “powerful means of defending sovereignty and a cornerstone for ensuring peace” as “defined by the law of the DPRK.” “The DPRK’s nukes as a means for self-defense and countermeasures will remain unchanged in their identity and persistence,” she declared. North Korea continues to reject calls for denuclearization, maintaining its demand that the international community recognize it as a nuclear weapons state. After the Quad, a security dialogue among the US, Japan, Australia and India, reaffirmed its commitment to the denuclearization of North Korea in a statement released in May, Pyongyang responded by declaring that denuclearization would “never happen,” in a statement attributed to a spokesperson of the Foreign Ministry. In this instance, Kim Yo-jong took it upon herself to officially denounce the statement issued by the G7 leaders.By Jang Ye-ji, staff reporterPlease direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]Related stories· In private meeting, South Korea’s leader reportedly suggests papal visit to North Korea· On anniversary of first inter-Korean joint declaration, Lee says peace is still within reach· South Korea, EU reaffirm commitment to denuclearization of Korean Peninsula· North Korea, China upgrade ties to strategic partnership amid ‘multipolarization’ push광고Editorial・opinion[Column] Bridging the gap between pragmatic policies of North, South KoreaThe second China shock is here — and it’s bigger, broader and more global[Column] America declares its retreat from the Middle East[Column] North Korea’s economic boom[Editorial] Trump’s defeat in Iran raises stakes for Korea[Column] Japan and South Korea: An alliance of middle powers?[Editorial] Korea must use G7 summit to band together with fellow middle powers[Editorial] Sinking Korean youth employment in AI era requires action, and fast[Editorial] Korean students show how to protest ballot fiasco without resorting to conspiracies[Column] What do people crying election fraud in Korea even want?
