North Korea said its status as a nuclear state was "irreversible" after the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) adopted a resolution criticizing Pyongyang's nuclear program. The statement was released by North Korean state media KCNA and quoted by Reuters.
Kim Yo-jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, accused the IAEA of "double standards". According to her, the agency ignores the actions of the United States and South Korea while condemning North Korea's nuclear program, which Pyongyang describes as part of its own defense.
In a separate statement North Korea's foreign ministry rejected the resolution and stressed that the country has no intention of giving up its nuclear arsenal. Pyongyang claims that nuclear deterrence is a key element of its national security.
Tensions over the nuclear program have also increased after new data on the expansion of the complex in Yongbyon. Earlier this month, the IAEA announced a new uranium enrichment facility, which the agency said could have up to 28 centrifuge cascades. The expansion of the capacity to produce material with potential use in nuclear weapons was identified by the agency as a serious cause for concern.
In parallel with the political message, Kim Jong-un conducted a three-day inspection of major munitions factories. According to KCNA, he stated that the modernization of all components of defense capabilities leads to “a significant change“ in the structure and means of the armed forces.
Reuters notes that, according to analysts, North Korea is accelerating the modernization of its army with help from Russia after the signing of a mutual defense treaty between Moscow and Pyongyang in 2024. The military experience gained by North Korean soldiers sent to the war in Ukraine is also seen as a factor in this transformation. This is an assessment by analysts, not an official confirmation from Pyongyang.
Kim Jong-un also participated in the training of propaganda cadres in Pyongyang, where he called for modern “ideological warfare“ to be more innovative, creative and aggressive, instead of relying on old approaches.
South Korea and the United States, meanwhile, continue to insist on the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. The topic was also confirmed during recent talks between South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington. Both sides maintain their position on denuclearization, although Pyongyang categorically rejects such a prospect.
North Korea's current position shows that the gap between Pyongyang and the international community on the nuclear issue remains fundamental. While the IAEA and Western countries insist on the cessation of nuclear activities, the North Korean leadership is increasingly categorically presenting the nuclear arsenal as a permanent part of its strategic identity.