“The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea [DPRK] is not planning to hold talks on nuclear weapons and the US has to get along with the DPRK’s nuclear status,” Choe Son-hui, director-general of the North American Department of North Korea’s Foreign Ministry said, speaking at the 2017 Non-proliferation Conference in Moscow.
According to Choe, North Korea’s nuclear status is essential for securing “stability and safety” on the Korean peninsula and in north-eastern Asia by extension.
Pyongyang is ready to pacify the Americans and will fight fire with fire if necessary, the official continued.
North Korea is “living with a constant nuclear threat from the US. Last week unprecedented nuclear drills were held, involving US aircraft carriers and US strategic bombers,” she said.
However, “action brings counter-action,” the diplomat said. “Our leader [North Korea’s Kim Jong-un] clarified our position, which states that we will pacify the US [and fight] fire with fire,” Choe added.
North Korea has “nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles,” but won’t deploy them in the absence of a threat, Choe stated.
“Our weapons are designed for the protection of our homeland from the constant nuclear threat from the US,” she added.
Pyongyang won’t supply nuclear weapons to third parties, notwithstanding its withdrawal from the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), Choe said.
“Despite quitting NPT, we are committed to the idea of non-proliferation of our nuclear weapons,” the diplomat added.