North Korea has sharply criticized the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) after the regional bloc renewed its call for a denuclearized Korean Peninsula, with Pyongyang dismissing the long-standing objective as unrealistic and accusing ASEAN of echoing the United States' position.

Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, issued a strongly worded statement on Monday condemning the outcome of last week's ASEAN Regional Forum, where member states voiced "grave concern" over North Korea's advancing nuclear weapons programme and urged dialogue to achieve lasting peace through denuclearization.

According to AFP, Kim Yo Jong accused ASEAN of adopting a hostile stance by supporting what she described as Washington's narrative on denuclearization while ignoring North Korea's constitutional status as a nuclear-armed state.

On the 23rd, the scene of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) meeting held in Manila / Collected 

Calling ASEAN's position "stupid and foolish," she argued that the concept of a denuclearized Korean Peninsula has become obsolete both politically and strategically. She further claimed that expecting North Korea to abandon its nuclear arsenal reflects a misunderstanding of the current security environment on the Korean Peninsula.

Kim also warned ASEAN against allowing itself to become what she called a "hired mouthpiece" for the United States, signaling Pyongyang's continued resistance to international pressure over its nuclear ambitions.

North Korea has consistently defended its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes as essential for national security despite multiple United Nations Security Council sanctions prohibiting such activities. In 2023, Pyongyang formally enshrined its status as a nuclear weapons state in its constitution, reinforcing its claim that its nuclear capability is non-negotiable.

The latest remarks reinforce North Korea's increasingly uncompromising position since the collapse of nuclear negotiations between Kim Jong Un and then-US President Donald Trump in 2019, when talks broke down over disagreements on sanctions relief and the scope of denuclearisation.

Kim Yo Jong reiterated in June that North Korea's nuclear weapons programme represents "the line of no retreat," underscoring Pyongyang's insistence that its nuclear status is irreversible despite continued diplomatic appeals from regional and international actors.

 

BOB Post