North Korea Slams NATO, Kim Orders Nuclear Buildup
Photo: REUTERS
North Korea issued a sharp condemnation on Saturday against the United States and its partners.
Foreign Ministry, in a statement released through state media KCNA, accused the Western alliance of intensifying military blocs and accelerating arms races following this week’s NATO summit.
Pyongyang specifically criticized NATO leaders for characterizing North Korea’s “exercise of its legitimate sovereign rights” as a threat. The ministry claimed that the alliance’s increased military spending and deeper ties with Asia-Pacific allies signaled a move toward “bloc-to-bloc confrontation”.
During the summit held in Turkey on Tuesday, officials unveiled military and industrial deals exceeding $50 billion. This comes as US President Donald Trump continues to push European nations to take on a larger portion of the alliance’s financial defense commitments.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung also engaged with allies on the sidelines of the summit. He expressed his desire for Seoul to broaden its collaboration with NATO regarding weapons production and research into “cutting-edge technologies”.
In its response, Pyongyang labeled NATO a “body geared towards war and confrontation” that pursues exclusive geopolitical interests. The North Korean government stated that Western efforts to force its nuclear disarmament have been “irreversibly terminated”.
Instead, the Foreign Ministry argued that global denuclearization efforts should pivot toward the nuclear ambitions of South Korea and Japan - which it claims pursue weapons under US protection - as well as NATO members involved in nuclear-sharing agreements.
North Korea vowed to protect its security and regional peace through the “responsible exercise of its sovereign rights”.
On Friday, KCNA reported that leader Kim Jong Un has called for a modernized military, prompting a decision to bolster the nation’s nuclear forces “quantitatively and qualitatively”.
Source: Reuters (adapted)
