Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, reaffirmed today that North Korea’s status as a nuclear-armed state is irreversible and nonnegotiable. She said the policy of strengthening "self-defensive nuclear war deterrence" is a "final conclusion that must be executed unconditionally" [1]. She added, "The DPRK’s status as a nuclear weapons state is the line of no retreat and it is a stark reality whether anyone recognises it or not" [2]. Kim Yo Jong also rejected US claims that Chinese President Xi Jinping and former US President Donald Trump agreed to denuclearization during their recent summit, calling such assertions "complete fabrication and false information" [3]. She described North Korea's nuclear program as nonnegotiable, dismissing international denuclearization efforts [4].
Earlier this month, North Korea unveiled a new nuclear material production factory and called for an exponential expansion of its atomic arsenal [1, 3]. Kim Jong Un ordered a 2.5-fold increase in missile production capacity over the next five years [1]. North Korea also criticized recent US and South Korean military activities as destabilizing and used this as justification for accelerating its nuclear buildup [3].
Chinese President Xi Jinping is scheduled to visit North Korea tomorrow, June 8, for a two-day summit, his first visit in nearly seven years [1, 5, 3, 4]. The trip is widely seen as Beijing’s effort to reinforce its influence over Pyongyang while avoiding direct pressure on nuclear disarmament [3].
Kim Yo Jong's statements come one day before Xi’s arrival, signaling North Korea’s firm stance ahead of the talks [1, 5, 2, 3, 4]. The summit runs through June 9 and will likely focus on regional security and economic cooperation amid ongoing tensions.
