North Korea vows to strengthen nuclear force despite US calls for denuclearisation
North Korea said US policy remained hostile and rejected denuclearisation demands despite a scaling back of joint military drills.
Pyongyang, North Korea. North Korea said on Monday it would continue strengthening its nuclear force, rejecting repeated US calls for denuclearisation and accusing Washington of maintaining an unchanged hostile policy.
The statement followed US President Donald Trump’s order this month to significantly scale back the annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises involving the United States and South Korea.
Foreign Ministry statement
In a statement carried by state media KCNA, a North Korean Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Washington had maintained a confrontational stance through its commitment to the “complete denuclearisation” of North Korea, criticism of its human rights record and planned joint military exercises with South Korea and Japan.
“The Trump administration has thus fully reconfirmed its invariable hostile policy to wantonly violate the sovereignty, political system and security interests of the DPRK,” the spokesperson said, using the initials of North Korea’s official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
The spokesperson said North Korea’s nuclear weapons were “an absolute guarantee for defending its sovereignty” and that its nuclear status would not be weakened by repeated US denuclearisation demands.
The official also said it was “pointless” to expect any easing of regional tensions and that there was “no change” in North Korea’s policy towards the United States.
Military exercises and summit efforts
Trump said he had ordered a major reduction in the scale of the Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises, citing his “very good relationship” with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
He said the drills were costly and sent an unnecessarily hostile signal to Pyongyang. Trump has been seeking a new summit with Kim, after the two leaders met three times in 2018 and 2019.
Despite the reduction, Kim Yo Jong, the North Korean leader’s sister, said this month that the exercises remained provocative and aggressive even with a reduced scale and duration.
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