The North Korean envoy to the United Nations has stated that Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons programme is not up for negotiation.
Ju Yong-сhol stated,
“The DPRK (North Korea) will never place its self-defence nuclear deterrence on the negotiating table or step back from the path it took to bolster the national nuclear force”.
He went on to reiterate North Korea’s position that the military exercises being conducted in South Korea with US and allied troops is an aggressive provocation to North Korea whose unceasing nature “would certainly add fuel to the fire”.
Ju Yong-chol continued,
“As long as the US hostile policy and nuclear threat remains unchallenged, the DPRK will never place its self-defensive nuclear deterrence on the negotiating table”.
This is in line with previous statements that cited the US overthrow of the Libyan government in 2011 which occurred only after Tripoli gave up its own weapons programme in late 2003.
READ MORE: North Korea is winning the information war in spite of fewer resources than the US
China and Russia have both criticised the US led military drills in South Korea and have urged America to put the drills as well as the delivery of THAAD missile systems to the country on hold so that dialogue can resume.
The post North Korea will maintain its nuclear weapons–negotiations not on the table appeared first on The Duran.