North Korea says its nuclear status is ‘irreversible’ after UN atomic agency rebuke

North Korea has stated that its nuclear status is "irreversible". The statement was made by Kim Yo Jong, sister of leader Kim Jong Un, in response to a resolution by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The IAEA resolution, adopted at its 70th General Conference in Vienna, criticised Pyongyang's nuclear weapons programme and reaffirmed that North Korea cannot have nuclear-weapons-state status under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

Kim Yo Jong accused the IAEA of double standards, saying it had turned a blind eye to the "grave reality" of nuclear threats from the United States and others. According to Yonhap News, she vowed to maintain the credibility of North Korea's nuclear capabilities. The IAEA resolution called on Pyongyang to immediately cease all nuclear-related activities.

Kim Yo Jong's statement was carried by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). Two days prior, she had reiterated that North Korea's status as a nuclear weapons state is "absolute" and cannot be reversed. Channel News Asia reported that Kim Yo Jong criticised the IAEA for its stance.

Brief written by urgent.news from Channel News Asia, Yonhap News, The Korea Times — 3 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.