Kim Yo Jong calls North Korea’s nuclear status ‘absolute,’ dismisses IAEA

Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, declared on Thursday that the country's nuclear weapons status is "absolute" and dismissed international calls for denuclearization, calling those who believe Pyongyang will abandon its arsenal "idiots."straitstimes+1

Her statement, carried by the state-run Korean Central News Agency, came as the 70th regular session of the International Atomic Energy Agency General Conference continues in Vienna, where member states have urged North Korea to pursue complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization in compliance with the Non-Proliferation Treaty.koreaherald+1

A Defiant Rejection

Kim Yo Jong characterized the IAEA's appeals as "all noises, not surprising and not new," likening them to a sound "ringing day and night from an answering machine." She said those gathered at the conference "must clearly realize what a pathetic delusion and futile waste of effort it is" to attempt to change North Korea's nuclear status.news.sbs+1

"No matter how desperately the IAEA and the West may hold periodic meetings and talk about the denuclearization according to the fixed scenario, they can have no effect on the will and ability of the DPRK to take all necessary measures to defend the supreme interests of the state," she said.koreaherald

Kim added that North Korea's nuclear arsenal "makes a significant contribution to deterring the outrageous acts of international rogues."straitstimes

Expanding Nuclear Capacity

Ahead of the General Conference, the IAEA released its annual safeguards report on North Korea, detailing what it described as a substantial increase in Pyongyang's uranium enrichment capacity and expansion of key nuclear facilities. At the conference, which opened on September 14, South Korea and European nations pointed to North Korea's nuclear program as a grave threat to the international nonproliferation regime.ua+2

U.S. President Donald Trump recently said Pyongyang possesses 57 "very powerful" nuclear weapons, while Seoul has estimated the figure at between 80 and 120. North Korea has legally enshrined its status as a nuclear weapons state, with its leadership declaring the country's arsenal permanent and irreversible.nst+1

Stalled Diplomacy

North Korea's nuclear arsenal has expanded since a second summit between Kim Jong Un and Trump collapsed in Hanoi in 2019 over disagreements on what Pyongyang would receive in exchange for steps toward denuclearization. Diplomatic efforts have remained stalled since, and North Korea has continued to develop its weapons capabilities while resisting international pressure to return to negotiations.nst+1