North Korea rejects IAEA pressure, declares nuclear status ‘irreversible’

PYONGYANG: North Korea has rejected a resolution by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) criticising its nuclear weapons programme, insisting that its status as a nuclear power is irreversible despite growing international pressure.

The latest declaration came from Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who accused the UN nuclear watchdog of applying what she described as double standards toward Pyongyang.

The IAEA adopted the resolution during its 70th General Conference in Vienna, reaffirming that North Korea cannot be recognised as a nuclear-weapon state under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and calling on Pyongyang to end activities related to its nuclear programme.

Kim Yo Jong argued that the agency was overlooking what North Korea considers nuclear-related activities by the United States and South Korea, including Seoul’s plans involving nuclear-powered submarines. She described the resolution as biased and said it would not alter Pyongyang’s position.

North Korea’s Foreign Ministry separately rejected the IAEA resolution, declaring that the country’s nuclear status is irreversible and supported by its nuclear deterrent. The statements underline Pyongyang’s continued rejection of international calls for denuclearisation.

The confrontation comes as North Korea continues to highlight the modernisation of its military capabilities. State media reported that Kim Jong Un conducted a three-day inspection tour of major munitions factories this week, where he called for improvements across the country’s defence sector.

Kim also stressed the development of artillery capabilities with greater offensive and deterrent capacity, while saying efforts to modernise the armed forces were producing significant changes in their composition and capabilities, according to state media.

Analysts cited by Reuters say North Korea has been working to upgrade its military capabilities with Russian assistance following the two countries’ 2024 mutual defence treaty. They have also pointed to combat experience gained by North Korean troops deployed in support of Russia during the war in Ukraine.

The latest dispute adds to already heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula. North Korea has repeatedly rejected international demands to abandon its nuclear programme, while the IAEA and other governments continue to raise concerns about the expansion of Pyongyang’s nuclear capabilities.

With Pyongyang now publicly reaffirming its nuclear status and continuing military modernisation, the latest IAEA resolution appears unlikely to change North Korea’s stated position in the immediate future.