North Korea Warns U.S. It Will Not Give Up Its Nukes

Kim Yo-jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, stated Wednesday that North Korea will never give up its nuclear weapons.

Kim, who is also a member of the State Affairs Commission and a top diplomat and advisor to her brother, emphasized that their nuclear stance is non-negotiable.

North Korea’s state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) published a statement in which she declared that North Korea’s nuclear position could never be reversed by “physical strength or sly artifice.”

The statement came after U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, along with his Japanese and South Korean counterparts, pledged to denuclearize North Korea during a meeting of NATO foreign ministers and allies in Brussels.

In her statement, Kim reminded the U.S. that North Korea's constitution allows the country to possess nuclear weapons, and that talk of denuclearization by other nations is a denial of the sovereignty of North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

Since returning to office, U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed a desire to continue the diplomacy he initiated with North Korea during his first term, stating last month that he still had a “good relationship” with Kim.

Some things have changed since Trump’s first term, including North Korea strengthening its ties with Russia. Last year, the two countries signed a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership that included a defense pact.

With Pyongyang rekindling its historical alliance with Moscow, Kim Jong Un may see less incentive to respond to threats or proposals from Washington.

As Iran faces increasing pressure over its nuclear program, some analysts argue that North Korea serves as the clearest example of deterring U.S. aggression. In contrast, countries that eventually disarmed—such as Libya, Iraq, and Syria—were later attacked or occupied by the U.S.