North Korea Declares Nuclear Status Irreversible After US-Japan-South Korea Talks

North Korea's foreign minister has said that the country's status as a nuclear-armed state cannot be reversed, warning that pressure from the United States and its allies will only strengthen Pyongyang's resolve.

Choe Son Hui's remarks, carried by the state news agency KCNA, came in response to a meeting this week between the United States, South Korea and Japan, where the three sides restated their commitment to the complete denuclearisation of North Korea.

The minister said that the more Washington and its partners push the denuclearisation agenda, the more firmly North Korea will hold to its position. Her statement signals no shift in Pyongyang's long-standing refusal to give up its nuclear arsenal.

The trilateral gathering brought together the three countries at a time of continued tension over North Korea's weapons programme. Their joint reaffirmation of denuclearisation as a goal was met with a direct rejection from Pyongyang, which has consistently described its nuclear capability as a permanent feature of its national security.

Choe's comments underscore the widening gap between the positions of North Korea and the three allies, with no indication of a diplomatic opening in the near term.