Foreign Ministry: "North Korea Cannot Attain Nuclear-Weapon State Status Under NPT" ... Rebuts North Korean UN Ambassador's Statement on "Constitutional Obligations"

Ministry of Foreign Affairs: "Consistent Stance of the International Community"

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated regarding North Korea's statement on the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference, "The consistent position of the international community is that North Korea cannot have the status of a nuclear-weapon state under the NPT."

Kim Sung, North Korean Ambassador to the United Nations. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Park Il said during a briefing held at the Government Complex Seoul on May 7 that "this position has also been confirmed through United Nations Security Council resolutions."

He added, "The government will continue to make efforts to achieve substantive progress in resolving the North Korean nuclear issue through a phased and practical approach, while maintaining the goal of the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and working closely with the international community."

Earlier that day, Kim Sung, North Korean Ambassador to the United Nations, released a statement via the Korean Central News Agency, claiming, "The Democratic People's Republic of Korea is not bound by the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty under any circumstances." He continued, "We strongly condemn and reject in the strongest terms the shameless and gangster-like behavior of certain countries, including the United States, that challenge our rightful nuclear possession and the exercise of our sovereign defensive rights as a sovereign state."

He also insisted, "We are faithfully fulfilling our obligations in accordance with national nuclear force policy legislation and the national constitution, which has solidified our legal status as a nuclear-armed state." This statement was issued during the 11th NPT Review Conference held in New York, apparently in response to the discussion of the North Korean nuclear issue at the conference. The NPT, adopted by the United Nations in 1968, is an international commitment to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons. North Korea declared its withdrawal from the NPT in 1993.

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Cho Hyun is scheduled to meet with Volker Türk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, who will visit South Korea from May 12 to May 14 for a three-day visit. This marks the first official visit by a UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in 11 years since former High Commissioner Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein in 2015. During his stay, High Commissioner Türk is also expected to meet with other government officials, including Unification Minister Chung Dongyoung, as well as representatives of human rights-related civic groups and North Korean defectors.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.