‘We Will Never Give Up Nukes,’ Says North Korea In Rare UN Address

Last Updated:September 29, 2025, 23:51 IST

Speaking at the UN, North Korea said Pyongyang would “never give up” its nuclear weapons, but left the door open to diplomacy

North Korea’s Vice Foreign Minister Kim Son Gyong addresses the United Nations General Assembly at UN headquarters in New York. (AFP photo)

In a rare address at the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Monday, North Korea reaffirmed its firm stance on keeping its nuclear weapons, calling them crucial to maintaining a “balance of power” with South Korea.

Speaking at the UN, North Korea’s Vice Foreign Minister Kim Son Gyong said Pyongyang would “never give up” its nuclear weapons, but left the door open to diplomacy.

This marked one of the few occasions North Korea has sent a high-ranking minister to the UN in recent years.

“Imposition of ‘denuclearization’ on the DPRK is tantamount to demanding it to surrender sovereignty and right to existence and violate the Constitution,” Gyong said, referring to the country’s formal name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

“We will never give up nuclear which is our state law, national policy and sovereign power as well as the right to existence. Under any circumstances, we will never walk away from this position,” he added.

Gyong did, however, leave the door open to diplomacy. His remarks follow comments made by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un last week, in which he said he was open to dialogue with the United States — as long as his nuclear arsenal remained intact.

“The DPRK will, as in the past, so in the future, collaborate with all countries and nations that oppose and reject aggression, intervention, domination and subjugation and aspire after independence and justice, irrespective of differences in ideas and systems,” said Gyong without specifically referring to any country.

North Korea, which carried out its first nuclear test in 2006, remains under heavy UN sanctions for its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes. The country is believed to operate multiple uranium enrichment sites, including at the Yongbyon nuclear facility. Although Pyongyang once agreed to shut it down, the site was reportedly reactivated in 2021.

Meanwhile, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung addressed the UN last week, pledging to break the “vicious cycle” of tensions on the Korean Peninsula and stating that Seoul would not seek regime change in the North.

(With inputs from agencies)

About the Author

News Desk

The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d…Read More

The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d… Read More

Read More

Go to Source