DPRK: Kim Yo Jong Pushes Back on ASEAN Nuclear Call

By Staff, Agencies

The Director of the General Affairs Department of the Workers' Party of Korea, Kim Yo Jong, criticized the Association of Southeast Asian Nations [ASEAN] on Monday over its call for Korean Peninsula denuclearization, dismissing the demand as outdated and unrealistic.

The statement came after ASEAN expressed concern over the DPRK's continued development of nuclear weapons and urged renewed dialogue to achieve "lasting peace and stability in a denuclearized Korean Peninsula".

Kim Yo Jong accused ASEAN of echoing Washington's hostile stance after the bloc expressed concern over the DPRK's nuclear program, dismissing calls for denuclearization as outdated and warning ASEAN against becoming a "mouthpiece" for US policy.

The DPRK reaffirmed that its nuclear program is irreversible, citing its constitutional status and longstanding position that the arsenal is essential for national security after talks with Washington collapsed in 2019.