NK slams joint denuke statement

[Anchor]

Recently, the foreign ministers of South Korea, the United States, and Japan issued a joint statement emphasizing the denuclearization of North Korea, and North Korea has belatedly hit back.

Kim Yo-jong, the deputy director of the Workers' Party of Korea, claimed that denuclearization is an unattainable delusion and an outdated concept.

Reporter Kim Gi-hwa analyzed the intent behind this.

[Report]

Last week, the foreign ministers of South Korea, the United States, and Japan gathered during the NATO meeting.

In a joint statement that included measures for trilateral cooperation, they reaffirmed their firm commitment to the "complete denuclearization of North Korea."

In response, Kim Yo-jong, the deputy director of the North Korean Workers' Party, expressed opposition, calling it a "hostile act."

She emphasized that denuclearization is an "unattainable delusion" and that stressing an already outdated concept is an act that denies North Korea's sovereignty and regime.

[Korean Central TV: "Wandering in the dreams of a failed past and constantly mentioning 'complete denuclearization' is akin to revealing to the world how outdated and ignorant their political discernment level is."]

She also claimed that North Korea's status as a nuclear power is a result of an inevitable choice and will never change, arguing that the denuclearization obsession of South Korea, the United States, and Japan only serves as a justification for strengthening North Korea's nuclear capabilities.

Since the launch of the second Trump administration, this is the fourth official response from North Korea regarding denuclearization, and the level of response is gradually escalating, including commentary on external media and the appearance of Kim Yo-jong.

In particular, this time, the assertion that denuclearization efforts are an attempt to change the status quo stands out.

[Hong Min/Senior Research Fellow, Korea Institute for National Unification: "Notably, the part where they point out South Korea, the United States, and Japan as the ones attempting to change the status quo, despite North Korea being the nuclear power, marks a clear departure from previous statements."]

This is interpreted as an intention to emphasize to the Trump administration that denuclearization is impossible and that recognizing nuclear possession is a prerequisite for negotiations.

This is KBS News, Kim Gi-hwa.