North Korea vows to keep nukes 'forever'
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Seoul - North Korea will retain its nuclear weapons indefinitely, declared its Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui on Monday, disregarding President Lee Jae-myung's recent plea for a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula. The North has legally designated itself as a nuclear state, with its leadership consistently asserting the permanence and irrevocability of its atomic arsenal. Choe's statement, released by the official Korean Central News Agency, came the day after Lee made a similar appeal during the United Nations General Assembly.
Lee reiterated his commitment to a denuclearized Korean Peninsula during his speech at the UN, emphasizing South Korea's intention to "lay the groundwork" for renewed dialogue between Pyongyang and Washington. He noted that US President Donald Trump, who met with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un three times during his presidency, has expressed interest in dialogue with Pyongyang and plans to meet Kim later this year.
In response to Lee's call, North Korea announced the testing of an upgraded 240mm controlled multiple-launch rocket on Tuesday. According to the state-run Korean Central News Agency, these missiles possess the capability to target areas up to 115 kilometers away.
Written by urgent.news from New Straits Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
