North Korea Condemns Call For Termination Of Its G7-issued Nuclear Weapons Program

Kim Jong-un while reviewing North Korea's uranium enrichment facility. (Source: KCNA)

JAKARTA - North Korea on Monday condemned the joint call for high diplomats in Group of Seven (G7) countries to stop its nuclear weapons, on the contrary they threatened to strengthen its nuclear power both in "quality and quantity."

Following a meeting at La Malbaie, Canada, the G7 foreign ministers issued a joint statement on Friday calling for North Korea to halt its nuclear and ballistic missile programs, condemning its military aid to support Russia's war in Ukraine.

North Korea's Foreign Ministry has criticized the G7 for questioning North Korea's fair sovereign rights, saying it was the G7 focused on "illegal and evil nuclear proliferation" under the pretext of sharing nuclear or providing extended deterrence, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

"G7, which has turned into a nuclear criminal group that seriously threatens global peace and security, must completely abandon its ancient ambitions for nuclear hegemony before talking about 'denuclearization' and 'nuclear demolition'," the ministry said in a statement published by KCNA. , quoted from The Korea Times January 17th.

North Korea says the country's status as a nuclear state, designated by the constitution, will not change regardless of whether the outside world recognizes it or not.

North Korea "will continue to update and strengthen its nuclear armed forces both in quality and quantity in response to external nuclear threats as stipulated in the Constitution and other domestic laws," the ministry said.

Quoted from The Korea Herald, the G7 statement was issued jointly between the United States foreign ministers, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the European Union's High Representatives.

"G7 members are demanding the DPRK to stop all of its nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction as well as ballistic missile programs in accordance with all relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions," they said in the statement.

The DPRK stands for North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

"They expressed their serious concern over and the need to tackle the theft of the DPRK cryptocurrency together. They asked the DPRK to immediately resolve the kidnapping issue," the statement added.

Foreign ministers have also criticized North Korea, Iran, and China's support for Russia amid a prolonged war in Ukraine.

"G7 members have criticized the provision of military aid to Russia by the DPRK and Iran, and the provision of weapons and components of double use by China, which is the main driver of Russia's war and the re-establishment of the Russian armed forces," the statement read.

"They reaffirmed their intention to continue taking action against the third country," the statement added.