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North Korea says US hostility remains unchanged and vows to expand nuclear force
🇵🇰 Pakistan /Energy & Infrastructure

North Korea says US hostility remains unchanged and vows to expand nuclear force

From Dawn · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

Newswire Official statement Ongoing story
  • North Korea accused the United States of maintaining a confrontational policy through denuclearisation demands, human-rights criticism and military exercises.
  • Pyongyang said it would continue strengthening its nuclear force and called its weapons an absolute guarantee of sovereignty.
  • The statement followed Washington’s decision to scale back exercises with South Korea, while a separate US-South Korea-Japan drill remained scheduled for September.

North Korea has rejected the latest US calls for denuclearisation, saying Washington’s hostile policy has not changed and promising to strengthen its nuclear force.

A Foreign Ministry spokesperson, in a statement carried by state media KCNA, pointed to the US commitment to the “complete denuclearisation” of North Korea, criticism of its human-rights record and planned military exercises with South Korea and Japan. “The Trump administration has thus fully reconfirmed its invariable hostile policy to wantonly violate the sovereignty, political system and security interests of the DPRK,” the spokesperson said.

The Trump administration has thus fully reconfirmed its invariable hostile policy to wantonly violate the sovereignty, political system and security interests of the DPRK.

— North Korean Foreign Ministry spokespersonThe spokesperson accused Washington of maintaining a hostile policy toward North Korea.

Pyongyang described its nuclear weapons as “an absolute guarantee for defending its sovereignty” and said repeated US demands would not weaken its nuclear status. The official also said there was “no change” in North Korea’s policy toward the United States and that expecting tensions to ease was “pointless.”

An absolute guarantee for defending its sovereignty.

— North Korean Foreign Ministry spokespersonThe spokesperson described North Korea’s nuclear weapons.

The statement came after US President Donald Trump ordered a major reduction in the annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises with South Korea. Trump cited his “very good relationship” with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and said the drills were expensive and sent an unnecessarily hostile signal. Trump has been seeking another summit with Kim, after the two leaders met three times in 2018 and 2019.

Kim Yo Jong, Kim’s sister, said the reduced exercises remained provocative and aggressive. Meanwhile, the United States, South Korea and Japan planned to hold the Freedom Edge exercise from Sept. 7 to 11. Seoul’s military said the drill would improve coordination against nuclear and missile threats, but North Korea has repeatedly called it a threat to regional security.

No change.

— North Korean Foreign Ministry spokespersonThe official said North Korea’s policy toward the United States had not changed.
About this summary

Originally published by Dawn in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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