North Korea tells UN General Assembly it will not give up its nukes
Vice Foreign Minister of North Korea Kim Sun-kyung addresses the UN. Image / UN
At the 80th United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 29, North Korea delivered one of its most uncompromising messages of recent years when Vice Foreign Minister Kim Sun-kyung declared Pyongyang would “never give up its nuclear weapons” and would “not retract this position under any circumstances.”
This stark rejection of denuclearization efforts marks a significant escalation in the country’s diplomatic posture and a direct rebuke to years of international pressure aimed at curbing its nuclear ambitions.
Kim’s speech framed nuclear weapons not merely as a strategic deterrent but as a constitutional and existential necessity. He argued that a demand for denuclearization is akin to an assault on national sovereignty and violates North Korea’s right to survival.
By embedding nuclear armament into the ideological core of the regime in this way, Pyongyang appears to be signaling a shift from tactical ambiguity to strategic finality. In other words, it is an attempt to normalize its status as a nuclear-armed state.
The United States, South Korea, and Japan have made their positions on the issue unmistakably clear. Washington condemned the weapons program as a breach of international law and a threat to global stability. Seoul reaffirmed that lasting peace on the peninsula hinges on full denuclearization, while Tokyo stressed the importance of bolstering trilateral security cooperation in light of North Korea’s expanding missile and nuclear arsenal.
Yet, amid this diplomatic deadlock, an unexpected opportunity surfaced. President Donald Trump hinted at a possible meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during the upcoming APEC summit in Gyeongju, South Korea, at the end of October.
“Dialogue with Chairman Kim is always open,” Trump said, adding that a meeting could take place “if conditions are right.”
Meanwhile, reports from Pyongyang indicate that Kim may be willing to engage, provided the U.S. abandons its demand for denuclearization.
This mutual signaling, however tentative, could mark the first thaw in U.S. relations since the collapse of the Hanoi summit in 2019. Yet, the road to meaningful dialogue remains fraught. North Korea continues to demand regime guarantees and sanctions relief as prerequisites for any negotiation, while Washington and its allies insist that denuclearization must come first.
Experts interpret North Korea’s UN speech as a calculated move to cement its nuclear status in the international arena. By publicly rejecting denuclearization at a global forum, Pyongyang is not just resisting pressure. It is attempting to redefine the terms of engagement.
This strategy, however, risks deepening its isolation, as the U.S. and its allies remain firmly opposed to recognizing North Korea as a legitimate nuclear power.
Whether the APEC summit becomes a turning point or another missed opportunity depends largely on the political calculus of both Trump and Kim. The denuclearization of the peninsula remains one of the most complex and unresolved challenges in global diplomacy, and the world now watches as the two leaders weigh confrontation against compromise.
Kim Yumi, a North Korean defector, was born and raised in Haeju, South Hwanghae Province, a coastal military area. Growing up near a naval base, she was able to secretly watch South Korean news programs and TV shows, thereby uncovering the vibrant, democratic society of South Korea. Yumi and her husband made the brave decision to escape North Korea and seek a better future. Now in Seoul, she is actively involved in raising awareness about the realities of life in North Korea, especially on her YouTube channel, “@KimYumiTV.”
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