North Korea Rejects IAEA Resolution, Says Nuclear Status Is Permanent

North Korea has rejected a resolution adopted by the International Atomic Energy Agency that criticised its nuclear weapons programme, stating that its standing as a nuclear power is permanently fixed in law and does not depend on recognition from any external body.

The dismissal was carried by the country's state media, which also reported that leader Kim Jong Un had undertaken a three-day inspection tour of major munitions factories during the week.

The IAEA resolution, adopted in the days before Pyongyang's response, had censured the North's continued pursuit of nuclear arms. In its reply, the North framed its nuclear position as a settled legal fact rather than a matter open to international arbitration, signalling no shift in its long-standing refusal to treat its arsenal as negotiable.

The factory inspections add a further dimension to the message, placing the leadership's attention squarely on the production side of its weapons programme at a time when its nuclear posture is again drawing multilateral scrutiny.

No details were provided on which facilities were visited or what was observed during the tour. There was no immediate reaction from the IAEA or from other governments to the North's statement.