North Korea has condemned the Group of Seven (G7) nations for calling for its denuclearization, with senior official Kim Yo Jong describing the demand as a violation of the country’s sovereignty and constitutional order, according to the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

Kim, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, said Pyongyang’s status as a nuclear-armed state is an “irreversibly finalized” reality that cannot be changed under any circumstances, News.Az reports, citing Anadolu.

She added that North Korea’s nuclear arsenal is a core national interest and functions as a self-defense deterrent against what it describes as persistent threats from hostile countries. Kim warned that attempts to undermine the country’s nuclear status would amount to “inviting disaster.”

The remarks came a day after G7 leaders, who met in the coastal city of Evian in France this week, reaffirmed their commitment to the “complete denuclearization” of North Korea in line with UN Security Council resolutions.

The G7 leaders expressed concern over North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs, reiterated support for full denuclearization, and called on Pyongyang to address long-standing abduction cases. They also pledged cooperation to counter North Korean cybercrime and cryptocurrency theft.

Kim dismissed the denuclearization calls as “completely out of date,” insisting that international pressure would not change North Korea’s nuclear policy.

Her comments follow a series of recent statements from Pyongyang declaring denuclearization a permanently closed issue and reaffirming plans to strengthen its nuclear capabilities.

Separately, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said on Friday that US President Donald Trump expressed “regret for failing to take appropriate action” on the North Korean nuclear issue before the country effectively became a nuclear-armed state, according to Yonhap News.

Lee met Trump on the sidelines of the G7 summit in France.

“The North Korean nuclear issue should not be handled the same way as those of other countries,” Lee told Trump.

Trump “agreed with the point,” Lee said, adding that he appeared concerned about the lack of a workable solution.

News.Az 

By Nijat Babayev