North Korea vows at UN it will keep nuclear weapons

The nation of North Korea stated at the 80th General Assembly of the United Nations that it will never give up on its nuclear weapons program. The speech from the North Korean officials was the first time that they had addressed the UN directly since 2018. They emphasized the right of North Korea to continue to develop its nuclear weapons, stating it sees the weapons as tantamount to its “right to existence”. For generations, the conflict between North and South Korea has divided the global community.

North Korea’s vice foreign minister Kim Son Gyo echoed the sentiment laid out by Kim Jong Un

In a speech at the UN General Assembly in New York, the North Korean vice foreign minister Kim Son Gyo relayed the stance taken by the country’s leader, Kim Jong Un. He stated that his country will never give up its nuclear weapons program, despite the myriad of international sanctions.

Additionally, the minister emphasized North Korea’s need to continue developing nuclear weapons in order to maintain a “balance of power” with South Korea.

“We will never give up nuclear, which is our state law, national policy and sovereign power as well as the right to existence. Under any circumstances, we will never walk away from this position. Imposition of denuclearisation on the DPRK is tantamount to demanding it to surrender sovereignty and right to existence and violate the Constitution. We will never give up sovereignty, abandon the right to existence and violate the Constitution.” – North Korea’s vice foreign minister Kim Son Gyo at the UN General Assembly

According to the South Korean unification minister, Chung Dong Young, North Korea is operating four uranium enrichment sites. Additionally, he also stated that the centrifuges at these sites are running daily.

South Korea still has hope for developing a peaceful relationship with its neighbor to the north

At the same UN assembly in New York, South Korea’s president, Lee Jae Myung, proposed a potential path to achieving a peaceful relationship with North Korea, outlining a “peaceful coexistence and shared growth on the Korean Peninsula.” His North Korean counterpart does not share that sentiment.

North Korea’s President called for his nation to rapidly expand the country’s nuclear arsenal and said it will never again be used as a bargaining tool in talks with US President Donald Trump. The US President has held several meetings with Kim over the two terms he has served.

The pair met on several occasions and discussed exchanging denuclearisation for the removal of sanctions, but no positive outcomes have materialized. Several nations have made significant progress in modernizing their nuclear power sector. So one would expect North Korea to utilize the negotiating power it has, should talks resume between the US and North Korean Presidents.

Kim Jong Un stated during the UN General Assembly that his nation is concerned about the joint military drills being done in the Korean Peninsula, and made a statement that underscores the perception his nation has towards the rest of the world.

“Thanks to our state’s enhanced physical war deterrent in direct proportion to the growing threat of aggression of the U.S. and its allies, the will of the enemy states to provoke a war is thoroughly contained and the balance of power on the Korean Peninsula is ensured.” – North Korean President Kim Jong Un

North Korea still has a few allies that it can turn to for support

North Korea has maintained strategic alliances with several nations, including Russia and China. China is a global leader in the nuclear sector, and the North Koreans will surely be hoping to establish a more friendly relationship with the second-largest economy in the world. The situation is dire, and if no progress is made regarding peaceful negotiations, the expectation is that things will only get worse from this point onwards, which will benefit nobody. Time is of the essence in the Korean Peninsula.