North Korea reaffirms nuclear status ahead of Chinese president's visit

North Korea will never abandon its status as a nuclear-armed state and will not tolerate any threats, according to Kim Yo Jong, the sister of leader Kim Jong Un. State media agency KCNA reported her statement on Sunday, just before Chinese President Xi Jinping's planned visit to Pyongyang. Xi's trip marks his first visit in nearly seven years and aims to strengthen ties with North Korea, Beijing's only formal treaty ally.

Kim Yo Jong specifically refuted claims made by the United States, which suggested that Xi and US President Donald Trump had confirmed a goal of denuclearization during a May summit. She asserted that North Korea possesses "the most accurate information" regarding these claims. The leader's sister emphasized that "the policy of continuously strengthening self-defensive nuclear war deterrence... is an irreversible and final conclusion that must be executed unconditionally."

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The policy of continuously strengthening self-defensive nuclear war deterrence, as declared by the head of state, is an irreversible and final conclusion that must be executed unconditionally

This strong declaration follows recent developments in North Korea's nuclear program. Earlier in the week, the country revealed a new factory for producing nuclear materials. During that unveiling, leader Kim Jong Un called for an "exponential" expansion of the nation's atomic arsenal. Analysts suggest this new uranium-enrichment site is intended to bolster North Korea's negotiating position before the summit with Xi and to justify an accelerated nuclear build-up. Additionally, Kim Jong Un reportedly visited a major munitions factory and ordered a 2.5-fold increase in the country's missile production capacity over the next five years, according to Yonhap News Agency citing The Rodong Sinmun.

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has the most accurate information