'We Will Never Give Up Nukes,' Says North Korea In Rare UN Address

Last Updated:September 29, 2025, 23:47 IST

Speaking at the UN, North Korea said Pyongyang would "never give up" its nuclear weapons, but left the door open to diplomacy

North Korea’s Vice Foreign Minister Kim Son Gyong addresses the United Nations General Assembly at UN headquarters in New York. (AFP photo)

In a rare address at the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Monday, North Korea reaffirmed its firm stance on keeping its nuclear weapons, calling them crucial to maintaining a “balance of power" with South Korea.

Speaking at the UN, North Korea’s Vice Foreign Minister Kim Son Gyong said Pyongyang would “never give up" its nuclear weapons, but left the door open to diplomacy. This marked one of the few occasions North Korea has sent a high-ranking minister to the UN in recent years.

“The imposition of ‘Denuclearization’ on the DPRK is tantamount to demanding it to surrender sovereignty and right to existence and violate the Constitution," Gyong said. “We will never give up nuclear which is our state law, national policy and sovereign power as well as the right to existence. Under any circumstances, we will never walk away from this position."

Gyong did, however, leave the door open to diplomacy. His remarks follow comments made by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un last week, in which he said he was open to dialogue with the United States — as long as his nuclear arsenal remained intact.

News world 'We Will Never Give Up Nukes,' Says North Korea In Rare UN Address

Read More