North Korea declares nuclear status irreversible

Kim Yo-jong, sister of the North Korean leader, has rejected calls for denuclearization made during the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) General Conference. She stated that the country's nuclear status is “absolute and irreversible,” claiming it is permanently consolidated both physically and legally to ensure peace and security.

Kim asserted that neither the IAEA nor Western nations can influence North Korea's will to safeguard its supreme state interests. This defiance follows statements from North Korean Deputy Defense Minister Kim Kang Il at the Xiangshan Forum in Beijing, who also urged others to abandon “illusions” regarding denuclearization.

In Vienna, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi called for a reaffirmation of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), noting that North Korea continues to develop its nuclear program in violation of UN Security Council resolutions. An August IAEA report highlighted the expansion of the program, including the construction of a second uranium enrichment facility in Yongbyon capable of housing 28 centrifuge cascades, alongside expansions at existing sites in Yongbyon and Kangson.