(LEAD) Senior N.K. diplomat reaffirms Pyongyang will never forgo nuclear arms 'under any circumstances'

▲ North Korea's Vice Foreign Minister Kim Son-gyong addresses the United Nations General Assembly at the U.N. headquarters in New York on Sept. 29, 2025, in this photo released by AFP. (Yonhap)

(LEAD) NK diplomat-nuclear arms

(LEAD) Senior N.K. diplomat reaffirms Pyongyang will never forgo nuclear arms 'under any circumstances'

(ATTN: ADDS more info in last 2 paras)

By Song Sang-ho

WASHINGTON, Sept. 29 (Yonhap) -- A senior North Korean diplomat reiterated Monday that Pyongyang will never renounce its nuclear program "under any circumstances," stressing that it has stipulated its nuclear arsenal as a "sacred" and "absolute" asset that can "never be tampered with."

Speaking at a general debate of the U.N. General Assembly in New York, Vice Foreign Minister Kim Son-gyong also expressed the North's openness to engaging with countries that "respect" and take a "friendly" approach toward his country.

It marked the first speech at the Assembly podium by a high-level North Korean official since 2018, when then Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho attended the gathering.

"We will never give up (our) nuclear (program), which is our state law, national policy and sovereign power as well as the right to existence, under any circumstances," he said. "We will never walk away from this position."

His remarks came as U.S. President Donald Trump's administration has reaffirmed its commitment to the "complete" denuclearization of North Korea, although its leader Kim Jong-un has expressed openness to conditional dialogue with the United States.

He reminded the attendees that Pyongyang has codified its nuclear status in law.

"In order to permanently maintain this state of balance and ensure everlasting peace on the Korean Peninsula, we have stipulated nuclear in our constitution as a sacred and absolute thing that can never be touched upon and tampered with," he said.

"Imposition of denuclearization on the DPRK is tantamount to demanding it to surrender sovereignty and right to existence and violate the Constitution. We will never give up sovereignty, abandon the right to existence and violate the Constitution."

DPRK is short for the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

In justifying its nuclear program, the diplomat denounced military exercises between South Korea and the U.S., as well as trilateral drills involving Japan.

"Can we find such a place as the Korean Peninsula where the world's biggest nuclear weapon state and its allied forces conduct bilateral and multilateral war exercises year around and even stage real-war drills simulating the use of nukes targeting a sovereign state by mobilizing massive multinational combat forces and latest strategic assets?" he said.

But he left open the door for engagement with countries.

"Irrespective of differences in ideals and systems, the DPRK will promote multi-faceted exchanges and cooperation with the countries that respect and take a friendly approach towards it," he said.

The vice minister's speech came as both Seoul and Washington expressed their hope to reengage with Pyongyang to promote peace on the Korean Peninsula.

Speculation has persisted that Trump might seek to resume dialogue with the North Korean leader when he visits South Korea to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit set to take place in the southeastern city of Gyeongju on Oct. 31-Nov. 1.

Kim has said that he is open to engaging with the U.S. if Washington drops its demand for the North's denuclearization.

On Monday, the North's vice minister met with U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

The two sides discussed the situation on the Korean Peninsula and areas to strengthen cooperation between the U.N. and North Korea, according to the office of the spokesperson for the U.N. chief.

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