North Korea rejects G7's denuclearization call, promises to strengthen nuclear forces
Illustrative photo: North Korea aims to continuously strengthen its nuclear armed forces (Getty Images)
North Korea criticized the joint statement of the foreign ministers of the G7 countries, which called for abandoning nuclear weapons. In response, Pyongyang declared its intention to only strengthen its nuclear capabilities, according to Yonhap News Agency and the G7 website.
On Monday, March 17, North Korea responded to the joint statement by the top diplomats of the developed economies after their meeting in La Malba (Canada) last Friday. In their statement, the foreign ministers of the G7 countries called for North Korea's denuclearization and condemned Russia's military assistance in support of its war against Ukraine.
G7 statement points
Here are the points from the joint statement made during the G7 Foreign Ministers' meeting in Charlevoix on March 14:
"6. We condemned the provision of military aid to Russia by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and Iran, as well as the supply of dual-use components by China, which played a decisive role in Russia's war and the rebuilding of its armed forces. We reaffirmed our intention to continue taking measures against these third countries.
17. We demanded that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) abandon all its nuclear weapons and all other weapons of mass destruction, as well as its ballistic missile programs, in accordance with all relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions. We expressed our serious concerns regarding the DPRK's cryptocurrency thefts and the need to jointly address this phenomenon. We called on the DPRK to immediately resolve the abduction issue..."
North Korea's response
The North Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs has stated that the country is exercising its "sovereign rights."
According to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), the foreign policy office of North Korea claimed that the G7 focuses on the "illegal and malicious spread of nuclear weapons" under the guise of nuclear weapon exchanges or extended deterrence.
North Korea further emphasized that the G7, which it described as a "nuclear criminal group," is seriously threatening global peace and security. The country asserted that the G7 must abandon its "anachronistic ambitions of nuclear hegemony" before discussing "denuclearization" or "nuclear disarmament."
Additionally, North Korea announced its intention to continuously update and strengthen its nuclear forces both qualitatively and quantitatively in response to external nuclear threats, as outlined in its constitution and other internal laws.
Earlier, Western media reported on satellite images showing that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un had disguised a new missile launch complex under a golf course.
It was also revealed that Kim Jong-un had ordered full readiness for the use of nuclear weapons to ensure the most effective defense for the country.
