South Korea Calls North Korea Will Never Be Recognized As A Nuclear Country

JAKARTA - South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Wednesday North Korea could not be recognized as a nuclear-armed country under international non-proliferation agreements, and its denuclearization was a principle adopted by all parties involved, including South Korea and the United States.

The ministry's comments came after US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth described North Korea as a nuclear-powered country in a written answer submitted to the US Senate during his confirmation hearing on Tuesday.

The former Fox News host said North Korea's status as a nuclear-powered country and its focus on developing missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons poses a threat to stability on the Korean Peninsula and its surroundings.

"North Korea's denuclearization has become a principle consistently upheld by South Korea, the United States, and the international community," the ministry said, launching The Korea Times January 15.

"Based on the NPT (Nuclear Non-Proliferation Agreement), North Korea will never be recognized as a nuclear armed country," the Ministry said.

Furthermore, the ministry also cited a White House statement reaffirming its position on North Korea's denuclearization.

NPT is an international agreement to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons. Only five countries are recognized as nuclear armed countries: the United States, Britain, Russia, France, and China.

North Korea approved the NPT in 1985, but withdrew in 2003 after Washington accused the regime of running a secret uranium enrichment program that violated their bilateral agreement to freeze its nuclear program.