North Korea Condemns Denuclearization Calls by US, Japan-South Korea

JAKARTA - North Korea has criticized the United States, Japan, and South Korea following their calls for Pyongyang to fully denuclearize in the meeting of the three countries' foreign ministers in Manila earlier this week.

In a statement carried by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Friday, July 24, the North Korean Foreign Ministry called the appeal a "vain attempt to deny and violate the constitutional rights" of the country.

The ministry also asked the three countries to no longer raise the issue of denuclearization.

As reported by ANTARA from Kyodo, according to Pyongyang, the issue has been "finally resolved and cannot be changed."

North Korea has repeatedly insisted its nuclear weapons are an essential part of its self-defense and will never accept denuclearization.

In the statement, Pyongyang also accused the United States, Japan, and South Korea of being the main cause of instability in the region.

The three countries are also said to be the main obstacles to efforts to maintain regional peace.

In addition, North Korea accused the three of using the forum of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to justify their interests.

Previously, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, and South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun held a meeting on the sidelines of the ASEAN meeting series in Manila, Wednesday.

During the meeting, the three stressed the importance of maintaining a unified approach to North Korea.