North Korea insists nuclear status is irreversible as China’s Xi visits Pyongyang

North Korea’s foreign ministry issued statements over the weekend rejecting renewed international calls for denuclearisation and declaring that its status as a nuclear‑armed state “cannot be changed.” The ministry said criticism and security cooperation by the United States, Japan and South Korea would not affect Pyongyang’s self‑declared nuclear weapons status and warned of possible “military and technical countermeasures.” The remarks were made after a joint declaration by the United States and South Korea at a Nuclear Consultative Group meeting in Seoul, which reaffirmed a goal of full denuclearisation of the peninsula.

The statements also coincided with Chinese President Xi Jinping’s first visit to North Korea in seven years. Xi met Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang, where he appeared with a broad smile during the welcome ceremony, a gesture portrayed as signalling renewed friendship between Beijing and Pyongyang. Analysts note the visit reflects China’s growing pressure as it balances regional security concerns, North Korea’s increasing cooperation with Russia, and ongoing tensions involving the United States and its allies.