South Korea Says North Korea Will Never Be Recognized As A Nuclear Armed Country

North Korea's latest ballistic missile launch. (Source: KCNA)

JAKARTA - North Korea will never be recognized as a country that has nuclear weapons, while its efforts to develop nuclear weapons will only lead to harsher sanctions against the regime, South Korea's Foreign Ministry said on Sunday.

It was said in response to a statement issued the day before by North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui that Pyongyang's possession of nuclear weapons was the legitimate exercise of sovereignty.

"The international community clearly prohibits the development and provocation of North Korea's nuclear and missile," the South Korean ministry said in a statement.

"Despite North Korea's actions and claims, possession of its nuclear weapons will never be recognized, and sanctions from the international community will be even tougher," he stressed.

Separately, Minister Choe criticized the UN Security Council (DK PBB) meeting held last week in response to Pyongyang's latest actions to strengthen its nuclear power policy in its constitution.

North Korea last week held a session of the 14th Supreme People's Assembly attended by Leader Kim Jong-un, unanimously deciding to "complement Article 58 Chapter 4 of the Socialist Constitution" to ensure the country's living and development rights, prevent war and protect regional and global peace, by developing nuclear weapons quickly to a higher level.

Minister Choe said North Korea strongly condemned "acts that violate the law and are reckless from enemy forces, including the United States, which call the implementation of our country's legitimate sovereignty a 'provocation' and a 'threat.'"