{
  "id": 7913578,
  "title": "Only ‘idiots’ expect North Korea to give up nuclear weapons: Kim Yo-jong",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/17/only-idiots-expect-north-korea-to-give-up-nuclear-weapons-kim-yo-jong",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-17T00:33:54.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "South China Morning Post",
    "slug": "south-china-morning-post",
    "url": "https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3367785/only-idiots-expect-north-korea-give-nuclear-weapons-kim-yo-jong"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": null,
  "summary": "Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, has stated that the country's nuclear-armed status is \"absolute\" and cannot be reversed. She called those hoping for North Korea's denuclearisation \"idiots\". According to Kim Yo-jong, North Korea's nuclear arsenal \"makes a significant contribution to deterring the outrageous acts of international rogues\".\n\nNorth Korea has legally enshrined its status as a nuclear weapons state, with its leadership declaring the country's nuclear arsenal permanent and irreversible. US President Donald Trump recently estimated that Pyongyang possesses 57 \"very powerful\" nuclear weapons, while Seoul put the figure at between 80 and 120, according to the New Straits Times.\n\nKim Yo-jong made the remarks during the ongoing General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna, where she said the \"familiar silly talk\" of efforts to denuclearise the North was expected. She added that the reality of North Korea's nuclear position has been permanently settled physically and legally and cannot change.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 4,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "Kim’s sister says only ‘idiots’ believe N. Korea will give up nukes",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/16/kims-sister-says-only-idiots-believe-n-korea-will-give-up-nukes",
        "published": "2026-09-16T23:25:34.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "New Straits Times",
        "title": "Kim's sister says only 'idiots' believe N. Korea will give up nukes",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/16/kims-sister-says-only-idiots-believe-n-korea-will-give-up-nukes-7903948",
        "published": "2026-09-16T23:57:36.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Channel News Asia",
        "title": "Kim's sister says only 'idiots' believe North Korea will give up nukes",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/17/kims-sister-says-only-idiots-believe-north-korea-will-give-up-nukes",
        "published": "2026-09-17T02:12:27.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}